On March 28, 2023, the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 was officially opened in Boao, Hainan. The theme of this annual conference is an uncertain world: unity and cooperation to meet challenges, openness and inclusiveness to promote development.

Restart the full offline meeting mode

The theme of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 is Uncertain World: Unity and Cooperation to Meet Challenges, Openness and Inclusiveness to Promote Development. This is the first annual conference held by the Boao Forum for Asia after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. According to preliminary statistics, in 2023 there will be about 2,000 representatives from more than 50 countries and regions, 92 senior ministerial and former officials from various countries, 11 heads of international and regional organizations, and many business leaders and famous scholars will participate in the discussion.

Judging from the agenda of the forum, many heavyweight guests will appear in Boao, bringing the latest policy trends in various fields. It is reported that Premier Li Qiang of the State Council will be invited to attend the opening ceremony of the annual meeting on the 30th and deliver a keynote speech. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez, Cote d'Ivoire Prime Minister Asch and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Georgieva will be invited to attend the annual meeting.

Li Baodong, secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia, said that the guests participating in the discussion of the sub-forums of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 are elites from the political, business and academic circles and leaders from all walks of life. Specifically, representatives from all walks of life, including politics, business, academic media, and other countries, discussed the theme of the annual meeting and the four topics of "development and inclusiveness", "governance and security", "regional and global", and "present and future" to discuss the post-pandemic world Development plans to promote international solidarity and cooperation.

Two flagship reports released

The press conference and flagship report conference is the highlight of the Boao Forum for Asia activities every year. At the annual meeting, Li Baodong released two flagship reports of the forum. Among them, the "Asian Economic Prospects and Integration Process 2023 Annual Report" pointed out that in 2023, it is expected that the overall recovery of the Asian economy will continue to advance, and the process of regional production, trade, investment integration and financial integration will accelerate.

The report believes that the overall pace of recovery of Asian economies will accelerate in 2023. The weighted real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of Asian economies in 2023 will be 4.5%, which is an increase from 4.2% in 2022, which has become a bright spot in the context of the slowdown of the world economy. The IMF's analysis shows that China and India alone will contribute half of global growth in 2023, and that every percentage point increase in China's economic growth will increase output in the rest of Asia by about 0.3%. In addition, the contribution of other regions in Asia will also reach 1/4. However, the overall weaker growth momentum in emerging markets and developing economies deserves attention.

According to the report, Asian economies' ability to resist external shocks, industrial chain reconstruction and resilience, response to climate change, and the implementation of regional trade agreements are four major issues that deserve special attention. Among them, on the issues of climate change, carbon neutrality and green transformation, major Asian countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea have proposed a timetable for achieving net zero emission goals, and most Asian countries regard promoting green development and transformation as a priority. An important component of national development policy. Green transformation has become an important agenda for Asian regional economic cooperation.

Another flagship report, "Sustainable Development in Asia and the World 2023 Annual Report-Asian Development Financing: Government-Social Actions" mentioned that development financing in Asia is currently facing many challenges, and many Asian economies have limited fiscal space and constraints. public sector support for development financing. In addition, there is no synergy among all development financing participants, and the risk of fragmentation is gradually increasing.

In this regard, the report puts forward a number of recommendations, among which it is mentioned that Asian developing economies need to plan for long-term sustainable health, green and digital infrastructure, and carry out corresponding capacity building, so as to equitably share the benefits of technological progress and the green revolution. to reduce the development gap. The annual meeting will last for four days and end on March 31.Editor/XingWentao