Haikou, 1 November 2025: At the invitation of Professor Chi Fulin, President of the China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD), ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe delivered keynote remarks at the 91st International Forum on China Reform held in Haikou, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China.

President Watanabe congratulated CIRD on its 34th anniversary, commending the institute’s long-standing contributions to regional co-operation and its pivotal role in advancing China’s reform and high-level opening-up.

In his address, President Watanabe reflected on the evolving global economic and political landscape, emphasising the importance of maintaining a long-term strategic vision amid short-term fluctuations. He highlighted that the Global South – home to around 70% of the world’s population and accounting for nearly 45% of global trade – has become an increasingly vital engine of global growth and a pillar of global stability.

He noted that China’s reform process since 1978, together with its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, has significantly expanded shared prosperity amongst developing economies and lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty.

President Watanabe also underscored the importance of upholding a rules-based international order and promoting South–South co-operation in areas such as climate resilience, active ageing, pandemic preparedness, disaster management, and human capital development.

He further pointed to the recently signed ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Leaders’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur as important platforms for enhancing regional co-operation and sustainable growth.