BFA to hold annual conference in spring

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will hold this year's annual conference in spring, tentatively at the end of March, at Boao of Hainan province, Li Baodong, secretary-general of Boao Forum for Asia, said on Wednesday.

Li made the remarks when attending a press conference in Beijing themed on this year's BFA conference.

He said that leaders and government officials from a number of countries -including China - heads of international organizations, business leaders and academia will gather at this year's conference for discussions that mainly theme on the post-pandemic development agenda for Asia and the world.

"The exact date for the annual conference will be released as soon as it is confirmed," Li said.

He said though COVID-19 and its impact still lingers, the world is expected to recover from the pandemic hit quite soon, and this year the BFA conference will be held offline with necessary pandemic prevention measures.

"The forum looks forward to welcoming guests and friends from all over the world in Hainan," he said.

According to Li, this year's conference agenda will include themes on development and inclusiveness, efficiency and security, regional and global cooperation, as well as discussions on the present and the future, with a view to promote international cooperation and consolidate consensus.

Cesar Toledo, a representative from SAIC General Motors who is among the sponsorship of this year's event, shared at the Wednesday press conference that he expects this year's conference to better enhance exchanges, cooperation and sustainable development across Asia and worldwide, as these are "even more important today as we strive for global development and a shared future in the post-COVID era".

zhangyue@chinadaily.com.cn