ASEAN Seeks Help From China, S.Korea and Japan Against U.S. Slowdown
Labor ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) raised their request for help during a first-ever dialogue earlier Friday with representatives from China, Japan and South Korea.
In a joint communique issued at the end of their two-day annual meeting, the ASEAN ministers voiced concern over the global economic slowdown which has caused an increase in unemployment in the region, DPA reported.
They urged the three new northeast Asian "dialogue partners" to provide more technical assistance and funding to support ASEAN's work program, especially those that upgrade skills and training, education levels, digital knowledge and work safety.
"They observed that these strategies would enhance the long-term competitiveness of the region and reduce its vulnerability to economic downturns," the communique said.
The ASEAN ministers met with China's Vice Minister of Labor and Social Security Wang Dongjin, and Japan's Senior Vice Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Chieko Nohno. South Korea was represented by an embassy official.
Malaysian Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn, who chaired the meeting, said Japan promised its best to assist ASEAN in terms of upgrading productivity and technology.
"Our appeal to China was for it to continue to open its market so it'll be an expanding market for goods and services from ASEAN countries. That will help us to recover more rapidly," he told a news conference at the end of the meeting.
ASEAN hopes the three dialogue partners would also participate in the grouping's technical assistance program for Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, which is aimed at helping these weaker economies integrate smoothly into asean's economic and investment initiatives.
The ASEAN ministers also asked for support from China, Japan and South Korea to appeal to the International Labor Organization to lift sanctions it imposed last November on Myanmar for using forced labor.