More than 90 experts from six countries and seven international organizations gathered Monday in Lanzhou, the capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province, to discuss Asian migration and development.

At the opening ceremony, Chen Weixiong, senior counselor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that migration is beneficial for the economy, but it can also contribute to the problems of illegal immigration, smuggling and drug dealing.

Chen said that all countries should make concerted efforts to prevent transnational crimes while maintaining the benefits of migration.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there are more than 175 million people flowing across national boundaries around the globe, accounting for 3 percent of the world's population.

Chen said that China, as a developing country, has given priority to global migration problems and actively participated in establishing a multilateral solution.

But, he added, sound implementation of policies is crucial to success.

"One thousand proposals are not as good as one concrete action. This elaborates the importance of action. . . . Governments will obtain tangible outcome through solid action according to their own national conditions."

Describing the international migration situation as "worrisome," Gervais Appave, director of the IOM's Migration Policy and Research, urged the incorporation of migration problems into national and regional plans to minimize negative effects.

The Regional Conference on Asian Migration and Development is sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IOM and Britain's Department for International Development.

During the three-day event, experts will discuss such issues as poverty, migration, hygiene, social welfare, gender and migration, domestic migration and international migration.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2005)