Chuan calls for more Asia-Europe electronic links

Asian Economic News, Oct 23, 2000

SEOUL, Oct. 20 Kyodo

Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said Friday that Asian and European countries should create more electronic linkages between the two continents, an move he believes would help boost trade and investment ties.

In a speech at the opening of the third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Chuan said, ''the information technology revolution must be inclusive rather than exclusive.''

He also voiced worry about the deepening ''digital divide,'' the gap between information technology (IT) haves and have-nots, that exists both among countries and within societies.

''Though information technology can help increase the productivity of an economy, it can also become an impediment to the development and integration of less advanced economies into the global system,'' the Thai prime minister said.

He warned that without efforts to prevent it, the digital divide could marginalize developing countries as more Asian and European countries move to become knowledge-based societies.