Representatives from six Asian countries met Monday in Tokyo to discuss enhancing the continent's infrastructure for broadband Internet.

The International Conference for Asia Broadband Strategy, chaired by Jiro Ushio, chairman of Ushio Inc., was attended by 18 experts and business executives from China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Toranosuke Katayama, who proposed the Asian Broadband Plan, emphasized at the meeting the importance of cooperation to boost Asia's position in the U.S.-led world of the Internet.

"The development of a region depends on the scale of information that is exchanged," Katayama said in explaining how Asia has lagged behind in Internet infrastructure compared with the United States and Europe.

"While paying respect to the cultural and social diversity of Asia, it is vital that we set up a goal to reduce the differences within the region," Katayama said.

A study group under the conference will discuss specifics, including how to improve the broadband network and ways the countries can cooperate to create cyber-governments. It will also hold talks on Japan's financial aid to the other countries.

A second conference will be held by December, a telecommunications official said.

The Asian Broadband Plan is included in the government's e-Japan priority program, which envisions Japan leading Asia in becoming a global information hub.

The details of the plan are expected to be worked out for presentation to the World Summit on the Information Society in December 2003.

According to telecommunications ministry officials, the ministry will ask for more than 1 billion yen in the fiscal 2003 state budget to finance joint projects under the Asian Broadband Plan.