BOAO /China/, March 25. /TASS/. The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is launching a large-scale annual conference dedicated to strengthening regional cooperation, globalization issues and promoting free trade. According to BFA Secretary General Zhang Jun, one of the main goals is to advance the process of restoring mutual trust in the world.
The theme of this year's forum is "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future".
Participants at the event, which is traditionally held on the east coast of Hainan Province (South China), intend to pay special attention to the problems of global governance and issues related to the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in modern society.
Key topics on the agenda will also include proposals to develop optimal strategies for economic development, taking into account the ageing population in China and some other Asian countries. In the context of growing tensions in Sino-American relations, the Forum will bring together policymakers and experts to discuss the prospects for overcoming differences between China and the United States in the interests of global development.
This year's BFA Annual Conference will be held March 25-28. Discussions and dialogues, roundtables, and plenary sessions will run from morning to late evening, usually lasting an hour and a half. Judging by the program, some events will last twice as long. As in previous years, the organizers will offer journalists the opportunity to meet with prominent political scientists, social scientists and economists from around the world. The key event, traditionally scheduled for the third day of the Forum, will be the opening ceremony of the official part, which will be attended by Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Ding Xuexiang, representatives of the top leadership, key political figures of China and other countries.
Participation of representatives of the Russian Federation
Russia is regularly represented at the conference held every spring in Boao. It is expected that this time, as last year, the Forum, which gathers up to 5,000 people (including participants, journalists, security and support staff), will be visited by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk.
He will be accompanied by Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov. Moscow is constantly following developments on this regional platform to promote multilateral interaction. Prominent figures in contemporary Russian China studies, such as Kirill Babaev, Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences, will also be present. Boris Titov, the Russian President's Special Representative for Relations with International Organizations to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals, is on the list of speakers, as well.
The Boao event is also directly related to the Russian energy industry, in particular PJSC Gazprom. Viktor Zubkov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of this company and Special Representative of the Russian President for Interaction with the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, has been a member of the BFA Board since 2018.
One of the important events of the 2025 Boao Forum for Asia will be the publication of a report on the prospects for economic development in Asia, Zhang Jun, Secretary General of the BFA, who also has the status of a member of the All-China Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (the highest advisory body), commented during the recent parliamentary session in Beijing. He noted that countries in the region are leading the world in areas such as stimulating growth, transitioning to alternative energy sources, and innovation.
"For global development, [Asian countries, including the PRC] are an important supporting force that provide a huge space for growth," Zhang Jun emphasized.
At a meeting with Morgulov last year, the Secretary General invited Russian companies and experts to actively participate in BFA activities. He thanked the Russian government and business community for their great attention and support to the forum.
Other key figures and thematic diversity of the Boao Forum for Asia
According to the program released by the organizers, the forum will also be attended by Nurlan Yermekbayev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Roman Sklyar, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan; Liu Zhenmin, China's Special Envoy on Climate Change, Cui Tiankai, former Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhou Xiaochuan, former Governor of the People's Bank of China, Jeffrey Sachs, Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University (New York), and many other prominent experts and leaders.
The conference will focus on four main areas: cooperation in the face of major changes in the world; rebalancing globalization and ensuring inclusive development; accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and better addressing global challenges; and managing artificial intelligence and fostering innovation. It is expected that through dialogue and forthcoming discussions, the participants of the forum will objectively assess the international situation as a whole, make valuable proposals to stimulate progress for all, outline concrete prospects for cooperation, and make recommendations on new trends and realities.
As in previous years, the topics discussed at the forum will have not only a regional but also a global format. Separate panels will be devoted to China's socio-economic development and current issues in international business. A series of high-level dialogues on China's reforms, the role of the United Nations, and sustainable development will be highlighted during this year's BFA.
A number of business meetings will be held at the forum. These include China's separate meetings with Australia, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
Hainan has provided resources and preparations for the BFA. Feng Fei, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, emphasized that a high level of services and security will be provided. He said the annual forum is a good opportunity to further deepen international cooperation in regard to investment.
The Boao Forum for Asia has been held annually since 2002, with 29 countries (Asian countries) participating. This platform for strengthening multilateral cooperation is called "Eastern Davos". The Chinese authorities pay close attention to the development of BFA and consider it an effective tool of soft diplomacy.