QINGDAO, June 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Asia is now facing historic opportunities to enhance cooperation and achieve common development, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the third foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue.

    Wen based his judgment on the fact:

    -- Peace and stability remain the themes of the times, and thisis also true in Asia;

    -- Economic reform in many Asian countries has further integrated them into economic globalization and regional cooperation;

    -- Asia enjoys rich natural resources, abundant workforce, vast market and huge potentials in regional economic cooperation;

    -- Asian countries generally value family, education, hard workand thrifty, and such shared philosophy has reinforced the inherent drive for regional cooperation; and

    -- Through years of efforts, regional and sub-regional cooperation in Asia has made new and steady headway, featuring robust regional dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation.

    "All these factors have laid a solid foundation for even more extensive and advanced cooperation among Asian countries," said Wen, who also urged Asian people to be aware of the difficulties and challenges in Asian cooperation.

    "The region is faced with many problems left over by history, and certain hotspot issues are yet to be addressed properly. The uneven economic and social development of Asian countries has limited the potential role of regional cooperation, and there is not enough rational and orderly intra-regional flow of goods, capital, technology and personnel," he said.

    Wen called for more efforts for Asian regional cooperation to develop both in magnitude and scope and in mechanism building. He said in the wave of economic globalization and regional integration, carrying out regional cooperation and development is just like sailing against the current.

    "We must continuously forge ahead or we'll be swept downstream," he said. "Only by strengthening cooperation, can we Asian countries all share the opportunities; only by working together like crossing a river in the same boat, can we be strong enough toconquer all difficulties; and only by uniting our strengths, can we remain invincible in the fierce global competition," Wen said. Enditem