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In my view, Asian countries have learnt the lessons from the past and significantly enhanced their capabilities to fend off risks.

Between 1995 and 2009, Western Europe's entrepreneurs created jobs faster than the U.S. did, and European economies exported more than the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Eastern Europe's productivity increased more rapidly than East Asia's.

Especially in the West, people want to understand Asia on a deeper level because it's become the engine of the world economy, like it or not.

Achievements in successful export industries, which need highly skilled people, can create an area as flourishing as South Korea and Singapore.

You are slowly developing some multinationals of your own. We certainly hope that some of them will look in this direction when they look for opportunities because the progress of Southeast Asia is important to China, just as China's progress is important to us.

Many people in the world believe that in the 21st century, the Asia-Pacific - Asia in particular - will play a more important role in global economy and politics and that Asia will become an important engine for the world economy.

Asia has a great future; we here in the Philippines will benefit from this Asian prosperity.

Singapore is a natural gateway for international firms looking to access Asia and for Asian businesses to access the world.

Because of economics, you have to feed the demographics that are buying your product. So, as Asia becomes a much more economic influence on the products that are being made from America, I think people have to be sensitive.

And so in terms of territorial control, in terms of economic preeminence, the western share of the gross world product is declining as Asian societies in particular develop economically.