The investment cooperation among East Asian nations is expected to be a growth area in boosting regional economic development, said experts at the 2005 East Asia Investment Forum held July 2-3 in Weihai city of east China's Shandong province.

The forum, with the theme of "making investment cooperation a new engine in driving ahead the economic growth in East Asia", has drawn the attendance of more than 300 representatives from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the 10 nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The experts and representatives have held a series of discussions on such subjects as "analysis of the investment environment and strategy", "Major areas of investment in East Asia", "Opportunities and challenges of investment in East Asia" during the forum.

Meanwhile, the nations concerned still discussed in depth the issues on political mutual trust, bilateral and multilateral free trade zones and ASEAN's role in promoting regional cooperation in the East Asia.

The two-day forum was co-sponsored by the China Foreign Affairs University,the State Development Bank and the Shandong provincial government.

Source: Xinhua