The annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia, is set to begin tomorrow in the resort town of Boao, located in the southern Chinese province of Hainan, with this year's theme set as “Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities.”
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Zhao Leji, will attend the opening plenary of the four-day conference and deliver a keynote speech, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Nauru David W.R. Adeang, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunawardena, Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Cambodia Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Daren Tang, and Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann, are some of the dignitaries attending the annual conference.
BFA Secretary General Li Baodong said this year’s event will focus on how the international community can work together to deal with challenges and shoulder responsibilities.
As a whole, Asian countries need a forum that is created truly from the perspective and for the benefit of Asia, that can be dedicated to the discussion of Asian issues and aimed at enhancing cooperation and exchanges among Asian countries, and also between Asian countries and other parts of the world, he added.
Organisers also informed that this year's annual meeting sets up four major sections: "World Economy," "Technological Innovation," "Social Development," and "International Cooperation," totaling dozens of topics. Each section's topics will reflect the theme of unity and development, seeking evidence through in-depth discussions on various issues.
Confronting challenges and sharing responsibilities are common interests of the international community and are the inevitable choices for building a community with a shared future for mankind, they also informed.
China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) arranged a pre- departure briefing for the journalists coming from Asia and Eurasia on Monday in Beijing.
It said the conference will include multiple activities such as the opening plenary, entrepreneur dialogue, panel discussions, roundtables, and press conferences, providing a high-level platform for in-depth exchanges and extensive cooperation among all parties.
On the other hand, the panel discussions, in particular, will cover a broad range of topics including those focusing on Asia, such as investing in Asia, deepening financial cooperation in Asia, and efforts to build Asia into a growth center, it also said.
The mission of the BFA is to pool positive energy for the development of Asia and the world to promote economic integration in Asia.
Hainan Province, also known as “Qiong”, is located at the southernmost tip of China. With its tropical coastal view and first-class ecological quality, Hainan has long been a renowned tourist destination in China.
On June 1, 2020, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Master Plan for the Development of Hainan Free Trade Port, entrusting Hainan with a new and historic mission to build a free trade port (FTP) with Chinese characteristics. In 2023, the provincial GDP was up by 9.2 percent, the second highest growth rate in China.