HAINAN, China - The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 that is being held in Hainan Province in southern China has grabbed global attention. 

Government officials, business leaders, and scholars worldwide called for stronger cooperation among Asian countries while speaking at a BFA’s sub-forum on Tuesday.
Delivering a speech at Global Free Trade Port Development Forum, Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the BFA and former UN chief, said the event with both the scale and the level of participation, serves as a strong testament to the significance of free trade and globalization.
He said while global trade is still far from being 100 percent free, it has significantly expanded the global economic pie and lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hardship. Ban added that the future of the world revolves around how open and inclusive economies can be. The former UN chief said this underscores the undeniable importance and benefits of free trade.

Two panel discussions took place alongside the BFA, where speakers advocated for the advancement of multilateralism and criticized unilateralism

Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of the BFA, also took the podium. He said political, security, economic, and technological factors are intertwining and interacting, presenting new challenges to the international order.
Zhou called on Asian nations to promote regional economic integration and shape an inclusive, equitable form of economic globalization. He stressed that these countries need to unite in opposing unilateralism and trade protectionism and uphold true multilateralism.
Hainan's Governor Liu Xiaoming also addressed the participants. He said Hainan is striving to create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment, with the aim of promoting the implementation of policies including zero tariffs, and low corporate and individual income tax rates. 
John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, described Boao as a beacon for dialogue and cooperation. 
Two panel discussions were also held on the sidelines of the BFA on Tuesday, during which speakers called for promoting multilateralism and denounced unilateral approaches which are, in particular, pursued by the United States. 
Preliminary statistics indicate that this year's annual conference has drawn approximately 2,000 participants from more than 60 countries and regions, in addition to over 1,100 journalists representing nearly 150 media organizations from dozens of countries and regions. 
The BFA’s 2025 Annual Conference that began on Tuesday will continue until Friday under the theme of "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future." 
According to BFA's official website, this year's forum will focus on development, foster dialogue, explore innovative formats and value tangible outcomes, all aimed at promoting international development and cooperation. The BFA also says the theme is intended to reinvigorate multilateralism.