Former Italian official highlights global economic shift to Asia amid move to multipolar world

An Italian economist and former government official has lauded China's commitment to promoting win-win cooperation and underscored the important role of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 as the Asian continent plays an increasingly bigger role in an evolving multipolar global landscape.

Often referred to as the "Asian Davos," the four-day conference, which started in the coastal town of Boao in south China's Hainan Province on Tuesday, has drawn nearly 2,000 attendees from more than 60 countries to participate in more than 50 events.

Political and business leaders have gathered to discuss trade, investment and technology, with some of the key topics centering on re-balancing globalization, harnessing Asia's economic growth potential, and enhancing China's cooperation with the world.

In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday, Michele Geraci, the former undersecretary of state at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, emphasized there is an ongoing shift as the Asian continent becomes an increasing driver of global economic growth.

"I hope that Western countries [and] Western companies understand that the growth is shifting now to Asia. And we are moving also from a hegemonic unipolar world into a multipolar world. It's more complex. It was easy before, you just have to do business with Germany and the United States, for European [or] for Italian companies, No? Now, no. You have 20 or 30 countries that share certain demand needs and so it's more complex. And with complexity you have opportunity but also difficulties for those who fall behind. So that's why the forum is important to educate people and share. So the people learn and they understand what to do with their own businesses," he said.

Amid this trend towards a more multipolar global order, Geraci further hailed China's commitment to delivering win-win cooperation and ensuring mutually-beneficial outcomes for all its partners.

"What China is pushing [is] win-win, not competition. Everyone wins. If Vietnam grows China benefits. If Thailand grows,Vietnam benefits. So you don't have to be the 'number one'. It is a shared benefit. This is the Chinese philosophy: win-win," he said.

Themed "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future," this year's Boao Forum serves as a critical platform for fostering regional cooperation, driving global economic growth and strengthening the region's role in global governance amid the current geopolitical tensions and global economic fragmentation.

Former Italian official highlights global economic shift to Asia amid move to multipolar world

Former Italian official highlights global economic shift to Asia amid move to multipolar world

China on Saturday launched the 2.0 version of "Tong Tong," the world's first artificial general intelligence (AGI) agent, featuring a young girl AI capable of autonomous learning, reflection, and growth, marking a significant milestone in AI technology development.

Developed by the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI), the new version of "Tong Tong" was revealed during the Artificial Intelligence Theme Day at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum.

The upgraded AI can dynamically update its knowledge base, value functions, and skills through autonomous learning, with the ability to reflect and grow in a human-like manner.

At the launch event, Chen Hao, executive director of the Advanced Technology Center at BIGAI, highlighted Tong Tong 2.0's capabilities.

"Tong Tong 2.0 achieves consistency between language and embodied actions, or what we commonly refer to as 'walking the talk.' In terms of cognition, Tong Tong 2.0 is capable of parallel task planning. By the end of the year, we will open Tong Tong 2.0's interactive channel to the public. We also plan to integrate its brain with an embodied robot, enhancing its ability to interact with the physical world, thereby improving the robot's intelligence and giving it a 'heart,'"Chen said.

The unveiling of Tong Tong 2.0 was a highlight of the Artificial Intelligence Theme Day at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum, underscoring AI's expanding role.

For instance, AI was used to produce promotional videos and warm-up content for the event. QR codes placed throughout the venue linked to the forum's AI assistant, "Xiao Guan," which helped attendees navigate schedules and locations.

The Theme Day was filled with sessions, including three simultaneous forums focused on embodied intelligence and general AI. Both the number and scale of these discussions have grown significantly compared to last year.

"Over 50 major innovative achievements were released on Theme Day. It provided an excellent platform for communication and collaboration among participants," said Tang Chao, deputy director of the Zhongguancun Science City Management Committee.

The 2025 Zhongguancun Forum, themed "New Quality Productive Forces and Global Technology Cooperation," commenced on Thursday in Beijing, drawing participants from more than 100 countries and regions.

Featuring 128 events across five major sections, the forum covers a broad range of topics -- from technology trading to frontier competitions -- and will run through Monday.

China unveils upgraded version of world's first AGI agent