The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), which ended its annual conference
in Boao, Hainan Sunday afternoon, is expected to develop into a
world-class forum through progress by taking three substantial
measures, Long Yongtu, secretary-general of the BFA from China,
said Monday.?
The BFA, which began in Boao, in China's southernmost Hainan
Province, in 2001, is a non-governmental and non-profit
international organization.
First, the forum will follow conventional international rules
and practices in organizing to meet demands of delegates of all
levels and from all walks of life and sectors, Long said. For
example, it will arrange more small discussions and seminars
between business leaders and between businessmen and
politicians.
This will help enterprises seek business ties and opportunities
and also enable the forum to serve as a high-level platform for
business negotiations and talks, according to the
general-secretary.
Second, the forum will hold a series of special meetings in the
future, to let Asia and the world as well to hear voices from the
BFA all the time, the secretary general said, adding that the BFA
has planned an Asian development and cooperation summit in June, an
international energy forum in July, the Asian education forum in
August and the world tourism conference in September.
In order to engage in more Asian countries and regions, the
forum will especially hold some meetings held in West Asia, Central
Asia and South Asia to expand its influence in these regions.
According to Long, the timetables for some BFA meetings have
been made, including on international energy forum in Tehran, Iran,
in June, the meeting of the BFA Board of Directors in Almaty,
Kazakstan, in September and the entrepreneurs summit in India in
November.
Third, Long said the BFA will increase cooperation with Chinese
and foreign think-tanks and strategic research bodies to form an
excellent intelligence supportive network for the forum.
Moreover, he noted that the BFA has signed an agreement with the
World Bank, which will offer US$1.25 million to help the BFA's
international intelligence network be well established. The China
(Hainan) Reform and Development Research Institute will carry out
routine research work for the BFA, Long added.
Long announced that members of the BFA Board of Directors have
reached the consensus to set a fixed date for the forum's annual
conference, on the third weekend of each April.
More than 1,000 senior statesmen, scholars and business leaders
from Asia and other parts of the world attended the two-day BFA
annual conference 2004, which started Saturday morning in Boao.
Chinese President Hu Jintao delivered a keynote speech at the
opening session.
Long Yongtu said there is still a long way to go for the forum
to become an internationally influential event, but the orientation
of its development has been set.
The BFA was officially established in February 2001 and the
first annual conference was held in April, 2002.
(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2004)