De Venecia, also the Lakas-CMD chairman, will join two Asian prime ministers in addressing the assembly of more than 250 delegates from 38 ruling and opposition political parties.

The Speaker, who conceived and founded the ICAPP in Manila in September 2000, said the Beijing Declaration would embody these urgent concerns to enable Asian nations to create their own strong middle class the way China did.

De Venecia lauded the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is hosting the event at the Beijing Hotel, for emancipating 400 million poor Chinese, calling it the largest economic emancipation in history.

As of Thursday, the Beijing Conference has become the biggest of the three ICAPP meetings, indicating its growing influence and emergence as a forum for fraternal consultation and cooperation among the region’s political parties.

Joining President Arroyo in the opening session are Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party,Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia,who is vice chairman of Cambodia’s People’s Party,and Fransisco Guterres LuOlo, Speaker of the National Assembly of East Timor and President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor.

De Venecia, the Lakas CMD national president, will address the assembly when it concludes on Sunday with the signing of the Beijing Declaration.

Several prominent Filipino political leaders representing their parties are in the Chinese capital to take part in the conference.

Among them are Sen. Edgardo Angara of the LDP, Senators Manuel Villar, Joker Arroyo and Ralph Recto of the Nacionalista Party, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. of PDP-Laban, Rep. Alfredo Marañon Jr. of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and Reps. Rodolfo Bacani, Antonino Roman, Hermilando Mandanas, Antonio Diaz and Eleazar Quinto of the Liberal Party.

During bilateral talks Wednesday, Chinese President Hu Jintao expressed thanks to Mrs. Arroyo for the Philippine President’s support for the 3rd ICAPP and acknowledged Speaker de Venecia and the Lakas CMD as the founder of the conference, the first such in history in Asia and in the entire world.

Jintao confirmed China’s financial support for the North Rail project of the government, which runs from Manila to Malolos and on to Clark.

The South rail is also being rehabilitated, while entirely new lines are planned for Mindanao, while the Panay Island railway in Western Visayas will be modernized.

De Venecia has served two terms as chairman of the Standing Committee of all political parties in Asia, aside from being president of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace.

De Venecia said the ICAPP, last held in Bangkok in 2002 and hosted by the Thai Rak Thai party, "has grown to be a positive force in Asia, because we are mobilizing the political parties of Asia to fight poverty, social injustice, and drugs and we are helping create the Asian middle class." (Ferdie J. Maglalang)

GMA addresses confab

BEIJING, China – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will address today representatives of 80 political parties from more than 35 Asian countries and highlight country’s experience of democracy in Asia.

The President, titular head of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), is scheduled to keynote the opening ceremony of the third International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) to be held here this morning.

In her keynote address coinciding with her three-day state visit here, Mrs. Arroyo is expected to project the country’s image as a "leading example of democracy" in Asia and the importance it gives to dialogue and the development of a wider base of cooperation in Asia.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. is attending the conference, representing the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) that has an outstanding coalition with the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), the country’s most dominant opposition party.

This year’s theme for the conference is "Exchanges, Cooperation and Development," with sub-themes on "Regional Security and Multilateral Cooperation," "Economic Development and Social Progress," and "Political Party Building and National Development."

The ICCAP, whose founding chairman was House Speaker Jose de Venecia, aims to develop a culture of cooperation among Asia’s political parties with a view towards formulating a common strategy for Asia in the next 25 years.

Its first conference was held in Manila, followed by a meeting in Thailand. This year, China is hosting the conference and hopes to enhance its status and project its Chinese-style approach to political democratization.’

"It is a gathering for political parties from various Asian countries to share their experience in running the party and state affairs, explore ways of friendly cooperation, formulate strategies of peace and development through joint consultation and promote regional cooperation in Asia," Wang Jiaru, vice chairman of the organizing committee, said.

In this year’s conference, political parties in Japan, South and North Korea, Iran and other members of the Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) were invited to attend. Other political parties from Europe and North America have also been invited as observers.