Asia and Africa: What comes next?

Kavi Chongkittavorn, The Nation, Asia News Network, Bangkok

One gets goose bumps reading the joint communique of the Bandung conference issued 50 years ago this week because Asia and Africa have indeed come a long way together since then, and yet they are still a world apart.

The communique includes the Ten Principles of the Bandung Conference, which are still relevant as the pillars of closer cooperation between the continents. That is why they have been enshrined in the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership, signed by the Asian and African leaders over the weekend, which will serve as the new template for political, economic and socio- cultural relations.

Unlike their predecessors, Asian and African leaders today are more focused and confident, despite some strong rhetoric and perhaps some bitterness over the experience of colonialism. When their predecessors met in 1955, the issues were about fighting for independence and how to escape from the superpowers' conflicts, so it was not surprising that some of their speeches also attacked the unfairness of the international system and the downside of globalization.

To be fair, the general atmosphere of the two-day summit was . Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was quick to set the tone and scope of the summit. His message was succinct: for Asia and Africa to progress they had to work together, pool their resources and engage other countries.

"In today's international context, the real challenge for Asia and Africa is not about developing the power to confront, but the power to connect with itself, but also with other international and regional groupings," Susilo said in his opening speech.

Over two days, the Asian and African leaders, young and old, reconnected and did some soul-searching, as well as drawing upon aspirations of the past. Now, they have to turn the strategies they devised into concrete action, especially those related to poverty and underdevelopment. The leaders must be united and have the political will to accomplish these objectives.

In 1955, very few of the 29 Asian and African countries that attended the Bandung conference were democracies, and most were underdeveloped. Today, 21 of those original participants are considered democracies. The African National Congress attended the original meeting as a movement; now it represents South Africa, which is considered the beacon of African democracies and the continent's economic giant.

While China today is still far from democratic, its economic and political clout have grown by leaps and bounds. Back then, China was still fresh from the revolution and then prime minister Chou Enlai was making one of his first international trips. His job was to protect China's interests. That summit was also a chance for China to get international exposure and rally support for the communist movement from the Islamic countries, which at the time comprised 16 nations.

In contrast, all eyes last week were on China. Chinese President Hu Jintao's speech read like a handbook on China's relations with the developing world in today's global system. Only China could make a declaration that it would stand by developing countries in all circumstances.

Bandung was also one of the first venues at which Japan was able to get international exposure after its defeat in World War II the decade before. Left-leaning Japanese politicians at that time viewed Bandung as an important venue to forge ties with newly independent countries. That diplomatic approach continues, as seen from Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's public apology at the summit to Asian countries that suffered Japanese aggression during World War II. Besides, Japan was the only country at the summit to spell out in detail its assistance to both Asia and Africa and its plans to do so in future.

The three Asian giants -- China, Japan and India -- have now become more proactive. They have to provide leadership in Asia and beyond. Unfortunately, so much attention at the summit was focused on the strained relations between China and Japan. It could have been a great opportunity for both countries to discuss comprehensive ways and means to cement ties and cooperation with Africa.

With Japan and China busy mending fences, India, as the world's largest democracy, must take the lead. New Delhi is well positioned to do so given its longstanding non-aligned stance and the ongoing normalization process with Pakistan.

It has now also become a moderate force that can bridge Asia and Africa. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has talked frequently of the need to understand and harness the fruits of globalization while at the same time expending every effort to address its negative sides. This attitude resonates strongly with other Asian and African leaders.

The summit has also given Indonesia's regional and international standing a further boost. When the world's largest Muslim country calls for a struggle for good governance, respect for human rights and democracy, it sets a benchmark for the region and developing countries.

The future of Asia and Africa is in the hands of their leaders. What they decide to do or not do, and whether they act on those decisions, will affect the lives of 4.6 billion people.