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The vast Asian continent, with Asean at its heart, is increasingly being seen as the only engine of growth in the wake of an apparently synchronised global economic recession and social stress, according to participants of last weekend's World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Nik Gowing from the BBC World News TV channel asserted at a WEF session that if there were no effective solution to the current crisis, there could be a destructive social backlash that would provoke political instability in countries while reviving protectionism and reversing the trend towards globalisation.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, one of Asean's dialogue partners, shared the opinion that Asia - which accounts for 40 per cent of the world population - had the greatest potential.

To help jump-start the regional economy that has been battered by the US-induced global financial crisis, in Davos, Japan announced its US$17-billion (Bt595 billion) development package for Asian countries to invest in infrastructure and other mega-projects to boost economic growth.

Moreover, Yasuo Hayashi, chairman and CEO of the Japan External Trade Organisation, suggested that the Big Three - Japan, China and India, all key partners of Asean - quickly conclude economic partnership agreements with other Asean members for long-term peace and prosperity.

It is imperative to expedite all motions since economic integration, though greatly beneficial, can be a time-consuming process, the Japanese official said.

Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, also expressed support for the continuation of trade and investment liberalisation policies, while Cheng Siwei, dean of the Management University in Beijing, called for mutual-trust building and acceleration of the free-trade zone involving Asean and its partners.

Currently, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand are Asean partners.

At a session entitled "Rebooting the Global Economy", Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said: "We live in a global economy, but we only have national authority."

Abhisit, also the current chairman of Asean, added that all regional measures needed to be coordinated.

With regards to tourism, the PM said the means to apply for visas online, Asean-based tour packages and human-resource training for better travel guides and services were now in place.

The Thai leader also supported the long-term objective of promoting value-added eco-tourism, medical tourism and the importance of green travel.

Geoffrey Lipman, assistant secretary-general of World Tourism Organisation, said: "Less travel hassles and more coordinated regional efforts are needed to use travel and tourism as the engine for economic growth."

At the food-security session, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighted the need for technology vitality and need for self-sustenance.

To this, Abhisit said: "The world has never been more advanced in terms of creating wealth, and yet more and more are going hungry."

Later, Abhisit told Surin Pitsuwan, the current secretary-general for Asean, to study and implement a regional rice stockpile of 2 million to 3 million tonnes for the Asean community.

Surin noted that the viability of this sort of scheme depended on institutional designs as well as good governance, including accountability, inclusivity, transparency and constant stakeholder dialogue.

On the issue of the Rohingya refugees from Burma, Surin said Asean should hold a focus group to find resolutions during the Asean Summit scheduled to be held in Thailand later this month.