BOAO /China/, March 28. /TASS/. The Asian region this year will become an important base for boosting the development of the whole world economy. Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Li Baodong said this on Tuesday.
"We can see that amid changes unlike any in the past century, in a period of volatility and transformation, all Asian countries which are facing challenges have become a motivating force for growth that the whole world can rely on, an important pillar for multilateral engagement," he stressed, commenting on the analysis reports of the BFA, which is being held on the east coast of Hainan Island. "In 2023, Asia will perform brilliantly against the backdrop of a slowing global economy."
The Secretary-General clarified that the recovery of Asian states has been uneven. Moreover, he said, the crisis in food, energy, monetary and health sectors have an enormous negative impact on the countries of the region.
Li Baodong recalled that with the unstable situation in the world, the debt burden of some countries that have found themselves in a difficult situation is increasing. "These issues need to be resolved by efforts within the Asian region, by rallying, by implementing even closer cooperation between Asia and the rest of the world," he added.
The Boao Forum for Asia has been regularly held since 2001 and has about 30 participating countries (Asia-Pacific states). It was not held in 2020 because of the pandemic, but in 2021 and 2022 it was organized in an in-person format, and this time it will be held on March 28-31. The Boao Forum for Asia is called the Eastern Davos; it is a major platform for the signing of major agreements, coordination of positions between representatives of business and government circles of Asian countries and all other regions of the world. Chinese authorities pay great attention to its development and view this mechanism as an effective instrument of soft diplomacy, which promotes and strengthens Beijing's international contacts.