HAIKOU, April 4. /TASS/. The efforts of the participants of the Economic Forum for Asia in Hainan's Boao in 2021 will be aimed at strengthening global consensus and mutual trust in order to restore sustainable growth and stable development of the international economic system of all countries, the forum's Secretary General Li Baodong stated.
"Our primary task this year is to assist Asia's states and the whole world so that, in conditions of guaranteed epidemiological security, they can strengthen consensus and mutual trust for the sake of [global] growth and development," he stressed, speaking to reporters.
According to Li Baodong, in recent years, contradictions have intensified in the world and new problems have arisen, requiring the coordination of joint efforts and more effective global governance. He noted that, despite the difficulties, the international community is able to respond to challenges, overcome the general economic downturn and optimize supply chains through multilateral formats of interaction, among which China's Belt and Road Initiative can play an important role.
"We will offer an 'Asian point of view' on relevant issues," the secretary general added. According to him, taking into account the said tasks, two new thematic sections will appear at the forum this year: “Know China” and “Cooperation of the Belt and Road Initiative.” They are devoted to the possibilities of boosting the growth of the world economy using China's accumulated potential.
Among other key issues that will be discussed at the Boao forum are the fight against climate change and the reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, increasing the financial openness of international markets, improving the quality of healthcare and accelerating the vaccination of the world's population in order to end the novel coronavirus pandemic.
This year, the forum will be held on April 18-21 under the motto “Peace in Transformation: Let's Join Forces for Global Governance and Cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative.” Among the main partners are Saudi petrochemical giant Sabic, South Korean corporations Samsung and SK Group, British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The Boao forum is dubbed the Davos of the East— it is a major platform for signing important agreements, coordinating positions between representatives of business and government circles of many countries. Its key task is to establish mutually beneficial economic, cultural and humanitarian contacts amid globalization.