Photo taken on April 17, 2021 shows the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021 is being held in spring, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the forum.

From an unknown small fishing village to a high-level dialogue platform with world influence, Boao Forum for Asia has flourished and made great achievements over the past 20 years, and become a more important international stage for deepening dialogue and seeking consensus amid uncertainty.

Aerial photo taken on April 8, 2021 shows the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

Confronted with the world's unprecedented changes in a century, how to build on the past and put forward a new "Boao proposal"? The world has once again focused its attention on the island of Dongyu.

A platform for exchange and consultation: to build consensus and cooperation with Eastern wisdom

The forum focused on the issues of the times, listen to the views of all parties, send out the voice of China, and build the consensus in Asia. Over the past 20 years, the Forum has gathered visions and wisdom, formulated the "Boao Proposal", put it into practical action and achieved a win-win cooperation.

"Since its establishment, Boao Forum for Asia, based in Asia with a global outlook, has been putting forward many valuable 'Boao proposals' and making positive contributions to building consensus in Asia, promoting cooperation among all parties, advancing economic globalization and building a community of shared future for mankind."

Photo taken on April 18 shows volunteers dressed in Li ethnic costumes help conference participants at the Boao Forum for Asia Hotel. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Three years ago, President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia annual meeting was still echoing around the world.

At present, standing at a new crossroads, we are confronted with more common challenges: the epidemic is still not effectively controlled, the world economy is in recession and the international situation is profoundly changing ......

On April 20, President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 and deliver an online keynote speech. The world is looking forward to the Chinese solutions to contemporary human problems, and the international community needs a new "Boao proposal" to address the challenges.

Over the past 20 years, Boao Forum for Asia has witnessed the building of consensus and the deepening of cooperation.

It is an exchange platform that offers advice and suggestions.

Every spring, more than 2,000 participants from Asia and around the world meet for four days to discuss the most pressing issues of the day.

Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia, speaks at the "Future Villages Future Cities" session of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019

(March 29, 2019, Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

"The charm and value of the forum is mainly in terms of people, ideas and actions." In the eyes of Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia, the forum provides leaders with opportunities to listen to each other, exchange views, coordinate policies and take action, as well as a platform for business leaders, experts and scholars to offer advice and suggestions. From forums to round tables, from dialogue sessions to luncheons, from official events to private exchanges ...... Wang Jun, member of the Academic Committee of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said that the forum provides a big stage for people from all walks of life to enhance understanding and seek common ground while shelving differences. It is a platform to build consensus on cooperation with Eastern wisdom - "There are international forums and dialogue sessions that play up conflicts and confrontations, while Boao Forum for Asia puts forward constructive solutions from the perspectives of jointly addressing challenges, resolving conflicts through dialogue and seeking common ground while shelving differences." Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of China Institute of International Studies, said with deep feelings. As a political and economic dialogue platform based in Asia with a global outlook, Boao Forum for Asia has built a series of consensus on issues such as economic recovery, green and low-carbon, inclusive development and free trade.

BFA Secretary-General Li Baodong (second from right) speaks at a press conference on April 18. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Li Baodong, Secretary-General of Boao Forum for Asia, said the forum adheres to the path of multilateralism and solidarity and cooperation, and insists on playing its own cross-cultural, cross-sector and cross-gender advantages, providing an important platform for communication and dialogue for the international community to work together to address global challenges.

It is a platform to share the opportunities of China's development -

President Xi Jinping attended the Forum's Annual Conference to deliver keynote speeches in 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2018 respectively. Statements like "China's open door will not be closed, it will only be opened wider and wider!" have had a great influence in the world.

"Every time when a Chinese leader speaks at the annual conference, the venue is packed to the rafters." Chi Fulin, president of China Institute for Reform and Development, said, “on the one hand, Boao Forum for Asia, as China's home diplomacy, has become a platform for sharing China's development experience and releasing signals of reform and opening up; on the other hand, China's high-quality development has also attracted countries to seek win-win opportunities and share development dividends.

Achieving one's own goal yields gratification, lending a hand to consummate others' goal doubles satisfaction. Goals of self and others can be unified, thus the world can be harmonized.

Ruan Zongze said that China has been seeking the greatest convention with the convergence of interests of all countries in the world, and the world is also looking forward to developing with China, establishing win-win cooperation with China, and moving towards the goal of building a community of shared future for mankind. The Boao Forum for Asia is a good choice for this.

Following the trend to answer the question of the times: joining hands to promote Asian economic integration and globalization

Born with the trend and changed by the time, Boao Forum for Asia has strived to answer the questions of the times over the past 20 years.

--When the Forum was established, the Asian economy had just suffered the blow of the Asian financial crisis and was in the new stage of opening up before and after China's accession to the WTO. Analyzing the theme of the annual conferences of the previous ten years, it is easy to find that Asia, cooperation and win-win are the key words of the annual conferences.

"Health Silk Road" session of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 on April 18. (Xinhua/Yang Guangyu)

Crisis calls for cooperation, while opening-up needs exchange. Boao Forum for Asia was born to discuss the development of the great plan.

In February 2001, with the strong support of the Chinese government, representatives of 26 initiating countries gathered in Boao, announcing the establishment of Boao Forum for Asia and adopting the Declaration of Boao Forum for Asia.

The Forum, which was born out of the crisis, is good at building consensus to formulate "Boao Proposals" to overcome the crisis. From 2003 to 2007, the Forum focused on "Asia's Searching for Win-Win" for five years consecutively. Since then, towards a healthy and sustainable future of Asian economy, the forum has focused on important issues such as green and innovation, and has become a practical action of the countries in the region.

--In recent years, the economy of China and Asia have been rapidly rising, while globalization has encountered barriers. Based in Asia with a global outlook, Boao Forum for Asia actively making proposals on globalization and global governance.

China is not the China of yesterday. China's economy has contributed to about 30% of world economic growth for many years, and has become an important engine and major stabilizer of world economic growth.

Asia is not the Asia of yesterday. With the economic integration in Asia and the accelerated development of emerging economies, Asia has become the main driving force of the global economy.

The world is not the world of yesterday. The unprecedented changes in the past hundred years are accelerating, the global governance system is facing an unprecedented impact, and the call for reform is growing.

Boao Forum for Asia has gradually shifted its focus from within Asia to the world based in Asia and paid more attention to the issues faced by the global community.

Ban Ki-moon said with emotions that we had experienced a period of global prosperity in trade and investment, with an optimistic, open and positive atmosphere everywhere. Then the situation was reversed. Boao Forum for Asia has the obligation and responsibility to speak up loudly for globalization, free trade, multilateralism and the community of a shared future in Asia and the world, and also to explore new solutions to cope with and solve the problems.

At the annual conference 2017, Boao Forum for Asia released a declaration on promoting economic globalization, calling on the world to persist in promoting open markets, inclusive growth and economic cooperation.

Actions speak louder than words. As the host country of Boao Forum for Asia, China has been responsible and decisive in its actions, and some initiatives have already been put into practice.

As early as in 2010, a Chinese think tank scholar proposed the establishment of an Asian infrastructure investment bank at the annual conference of Boao Forum for Asia, which received positive responses from participants from many countries.

Headquarters of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Chaoyang District, Beijing (Xinhua/Li Xin, Jan. 13).

In 2013, President Xi Jinping announced in his keynote speech at the Forum's annual conference that China would increase connectivity with its neighbors, actively explore the building of a regional financing platform, advance economic integration within the region and thus increase its competitiveness.

In 2015, President Xi Jinping pointed out in his keynote speech that thanks to the concerted efforts of relevant parties, the vision and action paper of the initiative has been developed. Substantive progress has been made in the establishment of the AIIB. The Silk Road Fund has been launched, and constructions of a number of infrastructure connectivity projects are moving forward.

In 2018, President Xi Jinping further emphasized that the "Belt and Road" initiative may be China’s idea, but its opportunities and outcomes are going to benefit the world. China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others.

The 20-year history has proved time and again that Boao Forum for Asia, with its emphasis on communication, coordination and cooperation, has provided valuable experience in solving the problems of Asian development and global governance by the "Boao proposals" achieved with efforts.

New challenges to be addressed together in the future: explore new cooperative solutions under the big changes

Against the backdrop of the profound changes in the world caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, how to build on the past and promote joint responses to the unprecedented changes of the century has become an important historical task facing the annual conference this year, and the "Boao Proposals" are even more valuable.

"Now more than ever, there is a need for dialogue and exchange." AstraZeneca Chairman Leif Johansson said, the world needs to unite in order to deal with the more insurmountable challenges.

AstraZeneca Chairman Leif Johansson speaks at The Era of 'AI+' session of Boao Forum for Asia 2019 Annual Conference on March 27, 2019. (Xinhua/ Guo Cheng)

As the world's first major international conference with offline meetings this year, the forum's annual conference has attracted more than 2,600 participants from more than 60 countries and regions, organized 63 events, focusing on the "Boao proposals".

"Build a New Way of International Cooperation in a Post-Pandemic World", "Belt and Road Initiatives: Thriving Against the Current", "Global Economic Outlook 2021"…The session topics are closely related to the current hotspots, reflecting the characteristics of political and business dialogue, and striving to formulate a new "Boao Proposal" for the world.

--The epidemic is still spreading, and all people rise and fall together. How to tide over difficulties together?

On the afternoon of 18th, the session "Health Silk Road" was held at Dong Yu Grand Ballroom of Boao Forum for Asia International Conference Center with no empty seats.

"Now we are facing the same virus and need unified actions and solutions." Former Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin said online, countries should actively mobilize all kinds of forces, including government and the public, to put health and sustainable development together, and try to reach a consensus to fight the epidemic together.

Former Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin speaks at a TV debate on "40 Years of Reform and Opening: China and the World" of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 on April 10, 2018. (Xinhua/ Yang Guangyu)

--How to improve global governance against unilateralism and protectionism?

International cooperation, globalization, WTO reform, RCEP ...... In the speeches and discussions at the forum, these words were repeatedly mentioned, highlighting the importance and urgency of improving global governance.

"Strengthening international cooperation and adhering to multilateralism have historically proven to be fruitful practices, and interpersonal, inter-business and inter-governmental coordination and cooperation are effective measures to address global challenges." So said Ahmed Saeed, Vice President of Asian Development Bank.

-Where to find the momentum for recovery from the severe damage to the world economy?

The "Belt and Road" Initiative has great potential in the post-epidemic era. Wang Jun, member of the Academic Committee of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, predicted that the "Belt and Road" Initiative was expected to become a focus for countries to strengthen cooperation and would play a greater role in diminishing the impact of the epidemic and promoting economic recovery.

Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of Boao Forum for Asia and chief representative of China, said that it is necessary to pay attention to the new economic models, new technologies and new trends that are constantly emerging, so as to provide new ideas, new thoughts and new approaches to solve development problems and achieve sustainable development.

Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of Boao Forum for Asia, speaks at the "WTO Reform" session of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019 on March 27, 2019. (Xinhua/ Yang Guangyu)

-- What experience will China provide for the world as its economy takes the lead in a stable recovery?

The economy grew by 18.3 percent year-on-year, the value added of high-tech manufacturing and online retail sales both grew by about 30 percent year-on-year - just in the past few days, China's economic data in the first quarter attracted global attention, not only with enhanced endogenous momentum, but also with sustained improvement in supply quality.

In a new stage of development, China's high-quality development is providing new opportunities for the world by implementing a new development concept and building a new development pattern.

"The new 'Interpreting China' section of this year's annual conference is to discuss in depth the development trend of China and its impact on the world economic recovery." Li Baodong said.

Press conference of Boao Forum for Asia  Annual Conference 2021 on April 18. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Building consensus, gathering confidence; shared future, common action.

By the Wanquan River, the sky is high and the river is wide, and it is just the right time to set sail. As long as we stand firmly on the right side of history and continue to build a community of shared future for mankind, we will gather a strong synergy and push the world forward to a new and better journey.