BOAO /China/, April 21. /TASS/. The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held the "Conversation with Hainan" session on green development on Thursday, where participants from a wide range of countries discussed key issues on protecting national forest parks. Governor of Hainan Province Feng Fei and Deputy Party Secretary of Hainan Li Jun attended the event.
"There are many challenges to overcome in the process of establishing our national rainforest parks. We need to find ways to optimize the system for controlling forest areas," Feng Fei said during his speech. Among the key issues that the provincial administration is seeking to prioritize are the restoration of degraded ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity, he said.
The governor noted that the restoration of ecology allows for the successful development of tourism and cultural and humanitarian projects. "Here we need to coordinate positions and combine efforts, share wisdom," Feng Fei added. "We need to look for new ways for low-carbon development so that our descendants can enjoy the beautiful nature."
He also clarified that the gross ecosystem product of Hainan National Rainforest Park is estimated at 204.5 billion yuan ($31.9 billion at current exchange rates). "We encourage local residents and companies to participate in tourism and recreational projects that involve forests, as well as programs that provide trips for scientific purposes, to learn about the world of plants and wildlife," Feng Fei stressed.
The governor said that the provincial authorities seek to preserve not only the forested areas in the center of the island, but also the culture and the life of the Li, indigenous people of Hainan Island.
The forum has been held regularly in the small village of Boao in Hainan since 2001 and counts 29 participating countries (Asia-Pacific states). It did not take place in 2020 because of the pandemic, but in 2021 it was organized in a face-to-face format. The BFA is called the Eastern Davos: it is a major platform for signing important agreements, coordinating positions between representatives of business and government circles of Asian countries and all other regions of the world. The Chinese authorities pay great attention to its development and consider this mechanism as an effective instrument of soft diplomacy, which promotes the activation and strengthening of international contacts in Beijing.