JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, June 1 (Xinhua) -- World experts criticized the United States for unilateralism and nationalism, calling for cooperation and collaboration among regional countries.
"In the United States, President (Donald) Trump is to this day the inglorious proponent of the 'my country first' policy," said Heinz Fischer, former Austrian president, at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity that lasted for three days to Friday in the South Korean resort island of Jeju.
He noted that the Trump administration was "antagonistic to the lessons" Europe had learned in the past, saying the future "lies on collaboration, not confrontation."
DESTRUCTIVE UNILATERALISM VS. CONSTRUCTIVE INTEGRATION
The biennial Jeju forum, held under the theme of "Asia Towards Resilient Peace: Cooperation and Integration," was attended by some 5,500 experts from around 70 countries this year.
Fischer warned of growing "nationalistic tendencies," and recalled the beginning of the 20th century when the "destructive powers of selfish nationalism" got stronger in Europe and led to devastating wars.
"The decision of President Trump to withdraw from the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty), from the Paris climate agreement and from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran is the opposite of wise decisions because it is destroying trust in international agreements," said Fischer.
He stressed that only in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect for the "generally accepted international treaty regime" could the global community succeed in finding necessary balanced solutions to varying interests.
To overcome the U.S.-led unilateralism and nationalism, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said East Asia should pursue a regional integration by creating what he called an East Asian community and promoting the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Proposed by China in 2013, the BRI has extended from Asia and Europe to Africa, Americas and Oceania, opening up new space for the world economy with better-than-expected results. Over 150 countries and international organizations have signed BRI cooperation documents with China.
Based on mutual respect, mutual understanding and mutual assistance, the former Japanese prime minister said Japan, China and South Korea should build an East Asian community together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"The Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to guide the Eurasian continent into peace, and the East Asian community initiative have the same ends, although their means are not necessarily the same," said Hatoyama.
TRADE WAR HAS NO WINNER
On the U.S.-initiated trade tensions with China, Martin Jacques, a senior fellow with Cambridge University, said at the forum that in the long run, "both economies, of course, will suffer ..."
The Trump administration early in May dialed up the additional tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent, and threatened to levy duties of 25 percent on some 300 billion dollars' worth of Chinese products yet to be hit.
However, the British expert expressed more confidence in China's growing ability to sustain the U.S. tariff attacks given the innovative growth of China, and its economic and cultural powers.
"Apart from its (China's) far superior growth rate, its standout economic achievement over the last decade has been its sharply rising capacity for innovation," Jacques said.
"Tariffs and a growing willingness to cut itself off from the dynamism of the Chinese economy will make the U.S. economy increasingly less competitive," he said.
