By Li Hongmei
Themed "Asia's New Future: Identifying New Growth Drivers," the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2014 will be held in south China's Hainan Province from April 8 to 11.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2014 next week, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei released on April 1. Also, Premier Li will make a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.
Speaking of the theme, the forum's secretary-general Zhou Wenzhong said on an earlier date that the fast growth of Asian countries and emerging economies in past years is largely attributed to globalization and industrial relocation. As the prospects of a global economic recovery remains obscure, emerging markets and most Asian economies are losing steam in their respective economic growth, and the institutional dividends of reform are disappearing.
Therefore, these countries now need structural reform in order to identify new drivers for growth, as this is the only way to ensure a sustainable future for economic growth.
The Boao Forum for Asia has become a truly global event that can grow in importance as China's influence increases, according to the CEO of a communications consulting company that has been helping to run the event since its inception in 2001.
Wu Hong, chief executive officer and partner of the Beijing-based New Alliance, was speaking ahead of this year's event in Boao.
This year's event is of particular importance, she said. "We've just had a new national leadership team. People are keen to learn what message President Xi Jinping is going to pass to the Asia-Pacific region."
Boao is also important for China because it is place where leaders in Beijing can meet representatives from Taiwan, Wu said.
When the forum was proposed by a number of veteran Asian statesmen in 1998, it was meant to be a non-governmental organization to promote Asia's common interests.
The Chinese government offered Boao as its permanent base in 2001, and the forum has been an annual event since 2002.
State Councilor Yang Jiechi has confirmed that this year's gathering will be the largest yet, with 13 leaders of foreign governments and international organizations scheduled to attend at the invitation of Xi.
They will be joined by nearly 2,000 representatives from major corporations in Asia, officials from key government departments in China, and about 400 journalists.
This year's conference will include about 60 panel discussions, with a focus on reform, innovation and sustainable development.
Discussions on reform may include topics such as global financial reform, reshaping the energy landscape, reform in some of the main economic bodies, reviving the competitiveness of emerging markets, the future of central banks, deregulation and the opportunities for private enterprises.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Kazakh Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Jung Hong-won, Prime Minister of Laos Thongsing Thammavong, Namibian Prime Minister Hage Geingob, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam will attend the forum, Hong Lei said.
Simultaneously, prime ministers of Australia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Namibia and Timor-Leste will make official visits to China at the invitation of Li, Hong said.
The Boao Forum for Asia was launched in 2001 as a platform for high-level leaders from government, business and academia to discuss pressing global and regional issues. The coastal town of Boao in South China's Hainan province is the host of the forum.
