JAKARTA, April 23 -- "Hello Asia! Hello Africa!" As leaders and delegates gathered here for commemoration events for the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference, this intimate calling appealed to all people from different nations of these two continents.

The voice from all participants here is loud and clear: Asia and Africa should strengthen cooperation for a better future of the entire world.

Sixty years ago, delegates from 29 Asian and African countries gathered in Bandung, Indonesia for a conference to decide their own future and destiny. That conference gave birth to the Bandung Spirit, calling for solidarity, friendship and cooperation.

More than half a century has passed, and the world has changed a lot.

The combined GDP of Asian and African countries has risen from less than a quarter of the world's total to nearly half of that. As President Joko Widodo of the host nation Indonesia has put it, the world has changed a lot and we need to build a new global economic order, as well as a collective global leadership.

Asia and Africa, the two continents that collectively host a big part of the world's developing countries, must step up and further expand their cooperation so as to better contribute to the peace and common prosperity of our world.

In this light, it's high time for Asia and Africa to further unleash their potential, pursue untapped opportunities and achieve collective development, which will in turn strengthen South-South, South-North and Asia-Africa cooperation.

It is commonly seen by delegates at the Jakarta gathering here that there are a number of areas in which the two continents can better cooperate, including agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure.

Africa boasts a growing working population, an expanding consumer market and abundant natural resources. These advantages could help the continent assume an increasingly important role in the global value chain and grow into a manufacturing success.

On the other hand, many Asian countries have developed advanced technologies and skills, while Africa is still short of technical expertise and training.

Sixty years after the Asian-African Conference, or the Bandung Conference, our world once again finds itself at a historical juncture amid complicated changes. This time, multi-polarity and globalization are gathering momentum. Countries are becoming increasingly interdependent with a stronger sense of community of common destiny.

In the meantime, a set of new challenges have also arisen. Traditional and non-traditional security threats are intertwined, the North-South gap is yet to be narrowed, and the balance on economic development and environmental protection needs to be better addressed.

Under such circumstances, intensified cooperation between peoples of Asia and Africa is of strategic importance to a more sustainable, peaceful and prosperous world. Countries of the two continents should carry forward the Bandung Spirit and strive for more fruitful Asia-Africa cooperation.