YOKOHAMA, Japan — Accelerating growth in Southeast and South Asia can help make up for slowing momentum in China but it requires smart investments in infrastructure and technology, the president
YOKOHAMA, Japan — Accelerating growth in Southeast and South Asia can help make up for slowing momentum in China but it requires smart investments in infrastructure and technology, the president of the Asian Development Bank said Saturday as the regional lender started a meeting of its board of governors.
ADB President Takehiko Nakao and other leaders of the regional lender said investments should concentrate on high-quality projects and technology should be made available to all as countries stretches to make up for shortfalls in needed spending, they said.
Nakao said he was optimistic about the outlook for Asia, which contributes about half of world economic growth. Overall growth is forecast at 5.7 percent in 2017 and economies in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam are gaining momentum.
The unstated backdrop to the meeting is Japan’s continued strong role in the ADB at a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump has adopted an “America first” stance and China is pushing ahead with its own infrastructure initiatives.
