IN the field of international television co-productions, East-West collaborations in Asia have never been more numerous- or proving more popular with viewers.And that trend will continue to accelerate, according to executives on both sides of the globe. Among the catalysts are sheer financial need; the growing appetite of audiences in the West for Asian stories and themes; substantial support from government agencies such as Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA), Taiwan’s Government Information Office (GIO); the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (FINAS) and the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC); rising levels of private investment in Asia; the boom in HD production; and the deepening “localization” of international channels such as National Geographic, VOOM HD, Discovery and The History Channel.