Participants at the Fourth Northeast Asia Economic Cooperation Forum focused on transportation in their speeches on Monday, attributing it as one major factor holding back regional development.
The Forum was held prior to the opening of the Fourth Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo on Tuesday in Changchun, the capital of northeast China's Jilin Province. Senior executives from the world's top 500 companies and government officials are participating this year's event.
Mori Kunio is vice governor of Japan's Niigata Prefecture, widely regarded as the gateway to other Northeast Asian countries for its proximity to northeast China, South Korea and Russia's Far East.
Mori Kunio said they are expecting the establishment of a direct sea route from Niigata to China's northeast so that transportation time will be significantly reduced. Mori Kunio believes this route will bring mutual benefits in his speech entitled "Expanding the land and sea routes and speeding up the construction of a Japanese industrial zone in Huichun"
As a major player in the Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo, Chinese enterprises play a pivotal role in Northeast Asia economic cooperation.
The Juneyao Group, a highly successful private enterprise in China, specializes in civil aviation and marketing services. It is also a major sponsor of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Wang Junhao is vice chairman of the Juneyao Group and Chairman of the Great Tumen River business advisory board. He talked about the role of private enterprises in Northeast Asian economics and his ideas about the future of aviation transportation in the development of the area.
After affirming the bright future for the development of the Tumen River Area, Wang Junhao also points out the challenges it confronts.
"The asymmetry in the distribution of the transportation infrastructure and communication channels is the key factor holding back economic integration. As a private entrepreneur of a civil aviation company, I am thinking about whether aviation transportation can help create a bridge to aid communication."
As an inland country, Mongolia is mindful of communication and transportation needs between it and other Northeast Asia countries.
Namjilsuren Khurelbaatar, vice governor of Mongolia's Eastern province, talks about the importance of transportation for Mongolia's economic development and cooperation with other Northeast Asia countries.
Namjilsuren Khurelbaatar says that rail transportation directly relates to their tourism industry, export revenue, regional development, and social and economic development.
The Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo aims to establish a long-term platform for China and the other Northeast Asian countries to exchange ideas and come up with mutually beneficial solutions.
The major agendas of this expo include the development of the Tumen River Area, the revitalization of old industrial bases in northeast China, and the furthering of cooperation between Northeast Asian countries.