| World Economic Forum on East Asia to open in Singapore |
SINGAPORE, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The World Economic Forum (WEF) regional meeting for Asia will open here on Sunday, with about 300 business, political and academic figures from 26 countries to discuss economic challenges and risks for this region.
"International attention has focused mostly on Asia's growth story, but the leadership imperatives linked to this impressive growth also need to be understand," Lee Howell, director of the Head of Asia, the Asia headquarters of the WEF, said at a press conference on Thursday.
Under the theme "the leadership imperative for an Asian century", the two-day meeting will focus on topics including Asian leadership, risk management, sustainable growth and competitiveness.
"Through the program pillars, we hope to identify the leadership opportunities and challenges that will shape an Asia century," Howell added.
He said the regional meeting will look back what the region has experienced as this year is the 40th anniversary of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is a decade after Asian financial crisis, and look forward to perspectives for Asia in the coming year when Japan will hold G8 and China will hold Olympic Games.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will host the welcome reception for participants and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong will give a keynote address at the closing plenary.
Other regional leaders including Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Vietnamese First Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hungare, Assistant Governor of People's Bank of China Yi Gang,are also slated to take part in the forum.
Business leader to attend include Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Renault and Nissan, E.Neville Isdell, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola and James T. Riady, CEO of Lippo Group of Companies of Singapore.
The World Economic Forum was established in 1971, which brings together policymakers and experts in the Swiss winter resort Davos and has branched out to hold regional meetings.
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