Agenda finalized for Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017

The Secretariat of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) holds a press conference in Beijing to brief journalists on the preparations for the BFA Annual Conference 2017 on January 9, 2017. [Photo: boaoforum.org]

(Source: boaoforum.org)

The Secretariat of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held a press conference on January 9 in Beijing to brief journalists on the preparations for the BFA Annual Conference 2017 and answered their questions.

According to Secretary General Zhou Wenzhong, the four-day BFA Annual Conference 2017, themed with “Globalization & Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives”, is to be held from March 23 to 26 in Boao, Hainan. The opening ceremony will be held on March 25.

Over the past few years, globalization has experienced setbacks due to intensifying criticism and opposition as well as the rise of de-globalization. At the end of 2016, the BFA held a conference in Melbourne, Australia to explore the future of globalization, where participants all agreed that globalization should be more inclusive to benefit population groups who have found themselves marginalized or their interest prejudiced by this process, while the fundamental principles and benefits of globalization should be respected and upheld, rather than negated.

Asia and emerging economies are one of the biggest beneficiaries of globalization, having emerged as one of the strongest drivers of this process. As a major dialogue platform for Asia and emerging economies, the BFA has found it necessary to put globalization into perspective and champion a more inclusive globalization through its Annual Conference.

Based on the theme, the BFA Annual Conference 2017 will be divided into four modules—globalization, growth, reform and new economy. A total of 42 official sessions and 12 private sessions are planned during the conference.

A more inclusive globalization

A more inclusive globalization will be the keynote of the Annual Conference. Following the opening ceremony, a plenary session will be added in the afternoon to convene prominent leaders from international organizations, business and academic communities to explore the issues of globalization.  

The “One Belt, One Road” initiative will continue to be a key topic, around which two dialogues will be respectively held between state leaders and senior government officials, as well as between CEOs and ministers from China and those countries along the Belt/Road.

Other topics to be addressed at the Annual conference include Asian regional cooperation, the Doha Round, global value chain reconstruction and the Asia-Pacific free trade zone advocated by China.

Growth

It is an urgent priority for governments and businesses to stimulate growth through a multi-pronged approach. The BFA Annual Conference 2017 will explore new paths, ideas and drivers of growth from diverse perspectives. Related topics include: global economic sub-health, the limits of monetary policy, fiscal policy as an economic stimulus, austerity and growth, cross-border investment, craftsmanship, small and medium-sized companies as hidden champions and the revival of private-sector investment.

There will also be sessions dedicated to a retrospective reflection on the Asian financial crisis and the subprime mortgage crisis, as well as to the economic trends of the US and China.

Reform

Reform is another subject that will dominate the discussion of the Annual Conference 2017. Related topics include: reform of the supply side, labor market, healthcare, land, fiscal and taxation systems, green finance revolution, business change, education reform, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the de-bubbling of the capital and real estate markets, asset securitization and deleveraging.

Entrepreneurship, innovation and new economy

Related topics include: industrial design, city identity, sharing economy, Silicon Valley as an innovation hub, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, big data, digital currency and blockchain, FinTech, entrepreneurship and capital, Internet-driven cars and live streaming.

The Annual Conference 2017 will invite six or seven heads of state/government (including one from the host country), as well as more than 80 international organization leaders and ministers of economic affairs, and provide opportunities for close interaction between business leaders and heads of state/government and ministers.

Partners of the BFA Annual Conference 2017

At the press conference, Secretary General Zhou Wenzhong also announced major business and media partners for the Annual Conference:

Strategic partners include SABIC and Shanghai General Motors; diamond partners, FMG, Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. , Samsung, and China Fortune Land Development Co., Ltd. ; platinum partners, QQ.com, HNA Group, Tata Group, SK Group and Riverside Group; gold partners, Deloitte China, Golden Brick Capital Management Limited, China Create Wealth Connection Internet Finance Co., Ltd. and Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy (Group) Co., Ltd.; philanthropy partner, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; silver partners, Qualcomm Incorporated, Ganten, Caijing Magazine and Starbucks (China) Co., Ltd.

To date, a total of 23 media outlets have signed up as media partners of the 2017 Annual conference. They are: Beijing International Advertising & Communication Group Co., Ltd., Bloomberg Television, BBC, China Business News, CCTV, China Daily, China Pictorial, CNBC, China News Service, China Radio International, Economic Daily, EDI Media Inc., Global Times, Hainan Broadcasting Group, Haymarket Financial Media, JoongAng ILBO, Outlook Weekly, People’s Daily, PR Newswire, Phoenix TV, VIVA, Xinhua News Agency and The Wall Street Journal Asia.