2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Boao Forum for Asia. Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia, recently gave an exclusive interview. Ban Ki-moon said that the 20 years of Boao Forum for Asia are 20 years of keeping pace with the times and 20 years of China's rapid development; Boao Forum for Asia and China are growing together and complementing each other. In the future, Boao Forum for Asia will definitely go beyond Asia and will play a greater role in the international affairs.

This year sees the 20th anniversary of the Boao Forum for Asia. As the chairman of Boao Forum for Asia, Ban Ki-moon is full of emotions. On the day of the interview, he just returned to Seoul from abroad and received the interview in the evening despite the long journey. His staff said that Ban Ki-moon assumed more than 10 positions, but BFA chairmanship was one of his most cherished positions, because he was much confident in Boao Forum for Asia. To him, Boao Forum for Asia not only invited the high-level participants, but also produced the infinite inspiration during the forum, and put all the inspiration after the forum into practice, which made Boao Forum for Asia stand out.

Ban Ki-moon said: "I am very proud to be elected as the Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia. The values of Boao Forum for Asia can be defined as people, ideas and actions. First, people. Every year Boao Forum for Asia brings together the best minds from Asia and around the world, and it is easy to meet presidents, prime ministers, ministers, CEOs and technology pioneers during the Forum; second, ideas. People come to Boao to meet, but more importantly to discuss and explore, and all the interactions from the opening plenary to the dozens of meetings that follow are a source of inspiration. Every spring, Boao becomes one of the world's largest exchange platforms for inspiring and innovative ideas, which is why it is often called "Davos Forum in Asia". Third, action. When the leaders take these ideas back to their home countries, they will put these inspirations directly into policy and action."

Commenting on how Boao has grown and changed over the past 20 years, Ban said that the Boao Forum for Asia and China had grown together and complemented each other. "Over the past 20 years, the growth of Boao Forum for Asia has kept pace with the miraculous development of China. The Boao Forum for Asia and China have grown together and complemented each other. The new Boao Forum for Asia Council is committed to making the Forum's footprint beyond Asia and expanding its issues beyond economic issues; I have always urged that Boao Forum for Asia should go beyond Asia, and this is what I have been thinking of. Currently, innovation, health, culture, education and media are five new directions for the future of the Boao Forum; as we celebrate its 20th anniversary, we are also planning for its successful development in the next 20 years."

Ban Ki-moon has been the Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia since April 2018. Previously, between 2007 and 2016, he served as the eighth UN Secretary-General, governing the UN for 10 years; in comparing governing the UN family and the Boao family, Ban Ki-moon said the Boao Forum and the UN were founded with the same purpose and goals for a sustainable future built by humanity. "First of all, the United Nations is an inter-governmental organization, while the Boao Forum for Asia is a non-governmental organization. So I can say that the UN works in a more formal way than Boao Forum for Asia. But they have a lot in common, especially their goal, which is to build a sustainable future for humanity. As you can see from the UN Charter and the Boao Forum for Asia Charter, the values and founding principles are very similar. For example, consensus building, policy coordination, solution seeking, joint efforts and cooperation, etc. These similarities give me great confidence. During my three years as Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia Council, I have contributed the experience I gained during my time as Secretary-General of the United Nations, and I will do my best to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to me by the Board of Directors and members of Boao family."

This year's Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference is a special annual meeting in the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, and is also the world's first major international conference with offline meetings. Ban Ki-moon noted that the epidemic posed risks to this Forum, but also gave it a special significance, allowing leaders to meet face-to-face to address the most pressing issues of the day: "The fact that this year's annual meeting was held in the midst of the Covid-19 epidemic gives this Forum a special significance. This year's Boao Forum for Asia provided a unique opportunity for leaders to meet face-to-face to discuss the most pressing issues of the day. From economic recovery, to universal access to vaccines, to poverty reduction, to climate change, to the future of sustainable development ...... these challenges can no longer afford any further delay. Over the past 20 years, Boao Forum for Asia has developed with the times, and looking ahead, BFA aims to make its footprint beyond Asia and to cover an even wider range of issues. There are five new areas - innovation, health, culture, education and media - that we will strive to achieve. As Chairman of the Board, I am confident of the success of the Forum over the next 20 years."

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Boao Forum for Asia, Ban Ki-moon wrote a special article for Boao, entitled "A forum for shared future of world". In the article, he pointed out that "the only thing that doesn't change is change itself. The Boao Forum has changed, is still changing and will continue to change to keep pace with challenges. But there is still one thing that won't change: the power of cooperation. The shared future of Asia and the world can only be secured by close and win-win cooperation of us all. This was the case in the past 20 years, and will continue to be so in the next 20 years and beyond’'.

Ban Ki-moon: " A forum for shared future of Asia and the world".