The TPP hit the headlines recently as Japanese PM Shinzo Abe announced his intentions for Japan to participate in negotiations on March 16.

The TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) is a proposed free-trade agreement currently kept under negotiation between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. South Korea was invited by the US to consider joining the TPP, but declined for the time being.

So far 11 countries have joined the free-trade negotiation. However, big economies such as China, Japan and India are still to join.

Zhou Wenzhong, BFA Secretary-General [Gong Jie/China.org.cn]

"The TPP should be open, not exclusive." said Zhou Wenzhong, Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on Friday during its annual conference, which runs from April 6 to April 8 in Hainan, China.

Zhou believes the TPP needs to make an all-win situation with other regional and global organizations. He said that even though the Doha Round becomes difficult, he is still very confident in the globalization of world economy. "The globalization of world economy is inevitable", Zhou says.

According to Zhou, under the financial crisis, protectionism has prevailed once again, but only temporarily. "Protectionism cannot solve the problems and save the Western economies," He said.

Zhou Wenzhong, BFA Secretary-General [Gong Jie/China.org.cn]?

The Boao forum is intended to promote the Asian tradition of seeking win-win results, as well as help regional economies look for common ground, transcend differences and pursue common development.

A non-governmental and non-profit international organization founded in 2001, the BFA works to promote regional economic integration and bring Asian countries closer to their development goals.