BEIJING- The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2024 annual conference is scheduled to be held in the resort town of Boao, southern China's Hainan Province, from March 26 to 29.

As reported by the Chinese media, this year's conference includes a BFA Annual Conference 2024 press conference scheduled on March 26, a raft of panel discussions, and other invitation-only events such as roundtables and CEO dialogues. 

The opening plenary is scheduled for March 28, according to the agenda posted on the BFA's website.

The panel discussions, in particular, will cover a broad range of topics including those focusing on Asia, such as investing in Asia, deepening financial cooperation in Asia, and efforts to build Asia into a growth center.

The Asia-focused topics will deliberate on boosting investor confidence, improving the investment ecosystem and enhancing foreign investment attractiveness, advancing financial cooperation in Asia to boost the real economy, and strengthening industrial and supply chain cooperation among Asian nations.

The agenda also arranges discussions on topics such as AI, the future of new energy vehicles, and high-quality Belt and Road Cooperation, with speakers expected to discuss when and where the breakthrough moment of technological revolution is, the changes brought by AIGC to the economy and lifestyle of humanity, the risks it brings, and global AI governance.

A panel discussion on the rise of new energy vehicles (NEVs) is included on the agenda during this year's conference held in the island province of Hainan. The province announced a plan in 2022 to ban the sales of all fuel vehicles by 2030, making it the first province in China to declare such a plan in its strive for a clean energy transition.

During a panel discussion on the future of NEVs, speakers are expected to share thoughts and ideas on how the energy revolution and automotive revolution can better promote each other, and how the fierce international competition will shape the industry's future.

Regarding the fruitful results of the Belt and Road Initiative in deepening connectivity of infrastructure, technology, standards, rules and operations over the past decade, speakers will deliberate on how to jointly build the "Digital Silk Road" in efforts to strengthen cooperation in areas such as technological innovation and digital economy.

According to the agenda, the panel discussions will also dwell upon other larger topics such as confronting fragmentation in global trade, the global geopolitical outlook, the global economic outlook, the Global Security Initiative in addressing security challenges and promoting world peace, and overcoming political hurdles to address the climate crisis and accelerating global climate action.

With a founding purpose to promote economic integration in Asia, the mission of the BFA, is to pool positive energy for the development of Asia and the world.

The BFA announced earlier the theme of this year's conference as "Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities." BFA Secretary General Li Baodong said that pursuing peace, seeking development, and promoting cooperation remain the dominant and shared aspirations of the international community.

Noting that nations should collectively address various global challenges and jointly shoulder the responsibility for promoting peace and prosperity, Li said that BFA hopes to call on nations to bolster unity and cooperation, rebuild confidence and trust, and collectively foster peace and development.

As a whole, Asian countries need a forum that is created truly from the perspective and for the benefit of Asia, and that can be dedicated to the discussion of Asian issues and aimed at enhancing cooperation and exchanges among Asian countries, and between Asian countries and other parts of the world.

Hainan Province, known as “Qiong” for short, is located at the southernmost tip of China. With its tropical coastal view and first-class ecological quality, Hainan has long been a renowned tourist destination in China. On June 1, 2020, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Master Plan for the Development of Hainan Free Trade Port, entrusting Hainan with a new and historic mission to build a free trade port (FTP) with Chinese characteristics. In 2023, the provincial GDP was up by 9.2 percent, the second highest growth rate in China.

It is worth mentioning that China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC) has arranged a trip for journalists from Asian countries to Hainan Province to attend BFA 2024 annual conference.

CIPCC, under the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), has initiated a program to build a platform for the media from countries around the world, especially developing countries, to observe China and study development in this country.

The program aimed at media exchange was halted in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

In each edition of the program, journalists from all around the world gather together to get familiar with the modern China and exchange their experiences in the field of journalism.

In 2024 edition of the program, scheduled to be held from late February until late June, over 100 journalists from more than 90 countries are participating.