HAIKOU /China/, March 23. /TASS/. The small town of Boao on the eastern coast of the southern Chinese province of Hainan, which annually hosts the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in spring, has created favorable opportunities for Russian surfing enthusiasts. Xinhua news agency reported that a company founded by Alexander Pantyukhin, a Russian entrepreneur from Omsk, appeared in this part of the island prior to the pandemic.

He first visited Hainan in 2009 and eventually decided to settle on the island. The businessman has been selling surfboards as well as surfboard accessories in recent years. "I really like kitesurfing (riding on the water with a large controllable kite - TASS). The climate here is comfortable and the sea is clean, which is very good for this sport," the entrepreneur said. "It was then (15 years ago - TASS) that I imagined how great it would be to live and work here!" he said.

According to the businessman, he manages to combine life and work perfectly. Alexander designs his own skateboards and has created his own brand named Ananas Surf. Given the demand for these products in China, he opened stores on online platforms as well.

Over time, the Russian entrepreneur has hired employees from the locals who help him work with an ever-increasing clientele. Alexander has found suitable suppliers for the materials he uses to make his products. They are already being sold in many stores in Hainan and are even entering the international market.

"Right now, the e-commerce and logistics industry in China is developing very fast, which opens up good opportunities for us. I believe that business will definitely go better in the future," Alexander said.

According to the entrepreneur, thanks to BFA, Boao is constantly developing, gaining more and more popularity among travelers from all over the world. "Boao has changed a lot over the years. The roads have become wider, it has become considerably greener, many hotels and hostels have appeared. More and more tourists are coming here, which creates a lot of opportunities," the businessman shared his impressions.

Hainan’s International Forum

According to Alexander, Boao has become his "second homeland." He expressed confidence that the city has a great future. The Russian noted that with time he will have even more business opportunities, as the contacts that Hainan maintains with other countries are getting closer and closer.

The BFA has been held regularly since 2001 and has about 30 participating countries (Asia-Pacific countries). This year it will be held from March 26-29 under the theme "Asia and the World: Shared Challenges, Shared Responsibilities." The Boao Forum for Asia is called the Eastern Davos; it is an important platform for signing important agreements, coordinating 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 consider this mechanism as an effective instrument of soft diplomacy, which promotes and strengthens Beijing's international contacts.