Boao Forum for Asia opens in China

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The opening ceremony of the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia will begin Sunday morning. The forum is being held in Boao, a coastal town in southern China’s Hainan province. Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a key-note speech at the opening ceremony. Full Story>>



For more on the Boao forum, we are joined in the studio by Joseph Pelzman, Professor of Economics and Law at George Washington University, and Professor Fu Jun from the School of Government at Peking University.

Q1, The theme of the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia is "Asia Seeking Development for All: Restructuring, Responsibility and Cooperation". What message can we take from that? What influence will this forum exert on Asian economies and world economies?

Q2, The Secretary General of the Boao Forum, Zhou Wenzhong, said this year’s forum will focus on "restructuring" in a more sustainable and innovative way. In regards to "restructuring", what topics are expected to be discussed?

Q3, What major concerns will this year’s forum address?

Q4, Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the forum. In your opinion, what will be the big message he will deliver to the Asia-Pacific region?

Q5, The Asian economic integration has accelerated in recent years, thanks to Asian economies being highly interdependent in trade and investment. At the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia, more than 50 panel discussions will be held to offer suggestions on regional development. How important is cooperation for Asian economies?

Q6, In addition to economic issues, this year’s agenda also includes topics concerning people’s livelihood, such as property, education, health, and food safety. What can we expect regarding such issues?

Q7, What’s the distinguishing feature of this year’s forum, compared with previous ones?

Q8, The international economic backdrop to this year’s forum remains negative--particularly in developed countries suffering from the economic downturn. In light of this, what outcome can we expect from this year’s forum?

Q9, Highlights of this year’s forum include a newly set up of Africa panel, a Latin America panel. What’s the significance of these new panels?

Q10, The Boao Forum for Asia was launched in 2001 as a platform for high-level leaders from government, business and academic circles to discuss pressing global and regional issues. After more than a decade, how important is the forum now becoming on the global arena?



During the three-day forum, April 6- 8 leaders from government, business and academic circles will be able to choose from 50 panel discussions. What will they talk about? What can be expected?

Boao Forum for Asia is all about dialogue. The talks will take the form of sub-forums, round-table discussions, and closed door meetings.

In some cases, guests will even be able to have private talks with big names like Bill Gates.

President Xi Jinping is expected to have a one-hour talk with 30 entrepreneurs from around the world.
Organizers say topics of discussions this year illustrate the forum’s global vision.

Yao Wang, head of Research Inst., Boao Forum for Asia, said, "For the first time, we will set up sub-forums for Africa, Latin America and Europe. Such a design shows the Boao Forum for Asia is getting more and more international."

In addition to macroeconomic issues like the debt crisis and monetary policy, topics concerning people’s daily lives -- such as education, health, tourism, and the Internet -- will also be addressed.

Most of panel discussions will last anywhere from 45 minutes to one hour and a half. During the busiest time slot, guests will be able to choose from five seperate talks.

The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that its Managing Director Christina Lagarde will visit China in April to attend the upcoming annual Boao Forum for Asia.

Lagarde will be traveling to China's Hainan Province on April 6- 8 to attend the Boao Forum, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters at a regular news briefing.

He added that Lagarde will meet with government officials of China and other Asian countries during her stay.

This year's Boao Forum for Asia, one of Asia's biggest annual economic meetings, will be held under the theme of "Asia Seeking Development for All: Restructuring, Responsibility and Cooperation ". More than 10 state and government leaders from Asia and other regions will be invited to the three-day forum, which will begin on April 6 in Boao, a coastal town in south China's Hainan Province.  

In  2012, more than 2,000 government, business and academic leaders from around the world attended the meeting.

Started on Sunday, the three-day forum is being held in Boao, a scenic town on the eastern coast of Hainan.

It introduces a wide range of topics, including eurozone debt crises, employment and growth, the reform of the international monetary system as well as the strategic breakthrough of Asian manufacturing.

The Boao Forum for Asia is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization founded in 2001.

It has been committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals.