Asia market round up: Zardari begs Boao

Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, strayed off-message to startling effect during the opening session of the Boao forum for Asia, a conference that aims to be a kind of Davos of the east. After Chinese premier Wen Jiabao opened with a measured discourse on the theme of strength and confidence, essentially reiterating his country’s policies of fiscal stimulus and infrastructure spending, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev continued the optimistic mood with his views on the plausibility and desirability of a single Asian currency. Then it was Zardari’s turn. "I had another speech prepared," he began, "but listening to Premier Jiabao speaking about hope... I just felt I would not being doing my duty if I did not bring up the issue of terrorism. Excuse me if I spoil your thought processes today..." Zardari’s brief but passionate speech focused solely on that issue, reminding audience members that he had set up a new forum – with China’s participation – on a recent trip to Japan, and urging them to join the fight. Vietnam’s prime minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, showed solidarity with his Chinese hosts by returning to a procession of platitudes and statistics on FDI and GDP, but Zardari’s plea had at least got the audience talking.