President Xi congratulates opening of Boao Forum for Asia

Chinese President Xi Jinping. [File photo:chinanews.com]

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the opening ceremony of the 2017 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia, held in China's Hainan Province Saturday morning. 

Since its establishment 16 years ago, the Boao Forum for Asia has played an important role in building Asian consensus, promoting Asian cooperation and upgrading Asian influence, Xi noted.

The theme for this year's conference is "Globalization and Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives." 

Xi said the theme reflected the attention on economic globalization paid by the international community, especially the Asian countries. 

The president called upon attendees of the conference to pool their wisdom on solving the major problems faced by the world and regional economy, and jointly push forward a more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable economic globalization process.

Talking about economic globalization in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli asked the Asian countries to join hands in promoting economic globalization and free trade, and forging the community of common destiny for Asia and the mankind.

To achieve that goal, the Asian countries should promote a development mode featuring peace, innovation, openness, sharing and fairness, said Zhang.