Beijing Radio Stations and the Voice of Russia have said with a strong economic growth and close connectivity, ASEAN has overcome the economic crisis safely with the hope of reducing its dependence on developed nations and promoting its impact.
At the recent ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting in Manado, Indonesia, 10 economic ministers and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said that ASEAN members have completed more than 70 percent of the ASEAN Economic Community Roadmap.
By the end of 2010, 99.11 percent of tariffs of six ASEAN members, namely Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were already eliminated. Meanwhile, 98.86 percent tariffs of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam were ranging between 0 and 5 percent.
ASEAN's merchandise trade grew at 32.9 per cent to over 2 trillion USD last year while its FDI also recorded a remarkable increase.
With a population of 500 million, a GDP growth of 1.5 trillion USD and its members’ economic growth of between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent, ASEAN will become an impetus for economic development in the Asia-Pacific region in particular and the world as a whole./.