Boao Forum in China Opens Today... Choi Tae-won, Ban Ki-moon Attend

Held as a Fully Offline Event for the First Time in 4 Years

The Boao Forum in China, known as the Davos Forum of Asia, will open on the 28th on Boao Island, Hainan.

According to the Boao Forum Secretariat on the 28th, this forum, held under the theme "An Uncertain World: Meeting Challenges with Unity and Cooperation, Promoting Development through Openness and Inclusiveness," will take place over four days until the 31st. Although the forum secretariat, formally a non-governmental organization, hosts the event, it is effectively led by the Chinese government.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Various figures from different sectors have been invited to the event to discuss four main agenda areas: "Development and Universal Benefits," "Governance and Security," "Regional and Global," and "Present and Future." From Korea, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon are expected to attend. Key foreign guests include Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Ivory Coast Prime Minister Patrick Achi, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and approximately 2,000 participants from over 50 countries are anticipated.

At the forum, newly appointed Premier Li Qiang is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech on the 30th. Chairman Chey is expected to participate as a panelist in the session on "Measuring Corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Performance" on the 29th, while former Secretary-General Ban will join the session on "Balancing Development and Security" as a panelist on the same day. Additionally, topics such as industrial and supply chains, the Belt and Road Initiative (land and maritime Silk Road connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe), Chinese-style modernization, science and technology competition and cooperation, global economic outlook, climate change, and intellectual property rights will be discussed.

Meanwhile, this forum is the first full offline event in four years since the spread of COVID-19. The forum was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19, and in 2021 and 2022, it was mainly conducted online.