An advisor to the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on Tuesday called for closer Asian cooperation to address the challenges posed by U.S. trade policies, while citing China's pivotal role in driving the region's economic growth and technological innovation.
Zafar Uddin Mahmood, policy advisor to the secretary general of the BFA, highlighted Asia's key role in global trade, primarily driven by China, emphasizing the importance of initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative for stimulating economic development in the region.
"Asia accounts for about 40 percent of global trade, which is a significant figure, and the driving force behind this is primarily China. Among the dozens of countries in Asia, there are also smaller nations like Laos. Through this platform, we hope to stimulate the economic development of other Asian countries. China plays a crucial role in this, especially with initiatives it has previously launched, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, which aim to drive global development," said Mahmood. Regarding the current rise of trade protectionism and geopolitical conflicts, Mahmood noted that while these challenges pose difficulties for Asian countries, they also create opportunities.
"The sudden increase in tariffs by the United States on many countries has disrupted the entire order of trade. I personally believe that this U.S. policy will not continue in the long term. However, for nations other than the United States, particularly for third-world countries, there are opportunities to find new markets rather than relying solely on the U.S. Asian countries can cooperate with each other, as well as with countries in Europe, Africa, and with Canada and beyond. I believe that global trade volumes will increase in 2025, rather than decrease," he said.
Mahmood also said that the forum is focusing on technological innovation, and it will hold a subforum on international science and innovation in Hong Kong this June.
"The world's innovation centers are shifting to Asia, with China playing a very important role. Recently, innovations like Deepseek have garnered global attention, and I believe that in the future, China's contributions in the field of innovation will grow significantly in the international arena, providing all countries with more convenient and better technologies to solve problems," said Mahmood.
The BFA Annual Conference 2025, scheduled for March 25 to 28 in Boao, South China's Hainan Province, is themed "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future." Focused on development, it fosters dialogue, explores innovative formats and values tangible outcomes.
BFA advisor calls for Asian cooperation, innovation amid US trade disruptions
