From rxpgnews.com
The next great success will come from Asia: Bill Gates
By Xinhua,
Apr 21, 2007 - 5:33:29 PM
Boao -, April 21 - Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said Saturday Asia will be increasingly the source of technological innovations in the years to come.
Gates was here in connection with the annual Asian Economic Forum which opened Saturday with a target to integrate the diverse economies in the Asian region.
'The next great success will come from Asia', Gates said.
Sixty percent of the people in the US said the next success would come from Asia, Gates said, citing a survey done in the US on 'where will the next big success and where the next Bill Gates come from'.
According to him, Microsoft established its first research centre in Asia about 10 years ago and currently is spending 60 percent of its research and development budget in Asia.
The quality of job by Microsoft's development centres in Asia is among the best in the world, he added.
Gates said he was surprised that Thomas Friedman's book, The World Is Flat, is not only popular in the US but also in countries throughout Asia, and it's a biggest seller in China.
'And so not only is Asia benefiting from the uses of new technology, Asia will increasingly be the source of advances in technology,' said Gates.
Gates arrived in Beijing Thursday for his 10th visit to China, during which he met Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi and visited the prestigious Beijing University and Qinghua University in Beijing.
Delivering a keynote address, China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said the forum would grow into an important regional platform of dialogue for promoting business cooperation and common development in Asia.
Asia's GDP grew by over 6 percent annually in the past seven years, contributing to 20 percent of the world economic growth, Wu said.
Sustained development in Asian countries has led to closer economic links within the region, he said.
Wu urged Asian countries to pursue a new strategy for industrialization that is high-tech driven, resources-efficient and environment-friendly and fully taps the strengths of human resources.
Established in 2001, the Boao Forum for Asia has become the premier platform for discussions about economic development in the world's largest continent. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz were among those who attended the opening of the forum.
Bangladeshi Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus were among other delegates.
This year's BFA annual conference attracted more than 1,400 most influential politicians, business leaders and intellectuals from Asia and around the globe.
All rights reserved by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited ( www.rxpgnews.com )