\:]
National News
Arroyo meets with Chinese Premier Li,
cites Ghina's development lessons
irr, i.&@iri80{&${01{i{Fl"i(iii:t::
/,-rl peaker Gioria Macap4gal Ar-
\ royo, along with other officers of
I \ the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)
X/said she hada "valuable" meet-
ing with Chinese Premier Li lGqiang'
dwing the recently concluded BFA An-
nual Convention in Hainan, China.
The fotmer President cited that
their discussion with Li zeroed in on
the direction China is taking on its 40th
year ofreforms and its ties with the rest
of the world.
Li's meeting with the BFA officers,
including Arroyo as a member of the
Boanl, was one of the highlights of the
BFA Annual Conference 2019.
The BFA gathers leaders in govern-
ment, business and academic institu-
Monday, April1,2019
tions throughout Asia to share their
thoughts on the mostpressing issues in
t}te region and the world.
Arroyo, who is on her second year
as a member of thci Board of the BFA,
hailed China's leadership in promot-
ing the Belt and Road Initiative or
the "GlobaLization V2" which aims to
fosLer cooperation and development.
She cited the current Chinese lead-
ership's implementation of Deng Xiaop-
ing's so ialism with Chinese character-
istics.
Arr'ryo attributed China's remark-
able growth, particrilarly during the
past two decades to "its own model of
development using yow own historical
experience."
Shenoted that China showed that no
development rnodel can be "applied
universally and that the diversity of ago, it has transformed itselt it is the from poverty China is on the verge.ol
historical conditions determines the world's leading growth, unmatched becoming the largest economy in the
development paths that countries could in history 400 million people lifted.out world," she said.
take.
"Cfina has given us the
lesson'that ther€ isjust not one
tt ./.Jy'\are -,T'
path fo;' development because
prior tb China's experience, it
was thought that the only way
to development is the Western
style model of Jeffersonian
democracy and cor.rpled with a
free market," Arrbyo said.
"But China has shown the
world that you can have your
own model of development
using your own historical
experience, especially China
in the last 40 yea$. Since the
opening of China 40 years