Asia must offer stability, openness, inclusiveness, says Singapore's deputy prime minister

SINGAPORE, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday called on Asia to position itself as a region that can offer stability, openness and inclusiveness to unlock its growth potential in a fragmented world.

In a keynote speech at a forum, Gan, also minister for trade and industry, outlined three areas for Asia to offer "a differentiated value proposition" to the world.

With clashes arising from time to time worldwide, Gan said Asia should continue to keep dialogue channels open, exercise restraint when conflicts emerge, and strengthen regional mechanisms that can help manage differences, he said.

He believed Asia should continue to advance regionalism and economic integration, citing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as a key example.

RCEP aims to eliminate tariff barriers and offers businesses common and streamlined rules of origin for trade within the region, he added.

Moreover, Gan said Asia can present itself as a model for inclusive and forward-looking cooperation, noting the different pace of low-carbon transition and digital economy development among countries.

Gan warned that the world faces "heightened uncertainty," with strategic rivalries sharpening, protectionism deepening, and global commons -- from trade to climate cooperation -- under stress. "Amidst this turbulence, Asia has an opportunity to stand out," he stated. ■