Boao Forum gathers overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, experts to explore further development

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2025 Annual Conference held its first roundtable conference on Wednesday, with representatives of overseas Chinese businesses and think tanks gathering to explore the unique role of overseas Chinese communities in promoting economic globalization, Chinese modernization, people-to-people exchange, etc.

As a high-level platform for overseas Chinese business leaders and think tank experts to exchange ideas, the Overseas Chinese Business Leaders and Think Tank Roundtable brought together 23 representatives of Chinese entrepreneurs, private business owners, and think tank experts from 15 countries and regions.

During the discussions, participants emphasized that exchange and cooperation are essential to future development, noting that Chinese entrepreneurs should benchmark against global industry leaders, work to strengthen technological innovation, and continuously enhance their core competitiveness. They should actively engage in international exchanges, particularly by strengthening collaboration with China's private enterprises, to explore broader global markets, according to the participants.

Moreover, the participants highlighted the distinct advantages of overseas Chinese entrepreneurs in playing their roles on the journey of Chinese modernization, and urged them to seize the emerging development opportunities brought about by China's ongoing efforts to foster new quality productive forces, in order to realize leapfrog development of their businesses.

From a global perspective, overseas Chinese businesses need to identify where they can play a role in participating in joint construction of Belt and Road, leverage their business networks and personal connections to serve as bridges between Chinese and foreign enterprises in potential business cooperation, work to step up the landing and execution of projects, bring into play their advantages in capital, and voluntarily get involved in joint construction of the Belt and Road, to achieve all-win development, the participants said at the roundtable.

The Boao Forum for Asia 2025 Annual Conference opened on Tuesday in Boao Town of south China's Hainan Province. Nearly 2,000 representatives from over 60 countries and regions are attending the four-day event. The forum is seen as Asia's answer to Davos. This year's theme is "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future". The theme reflects efforts in the region to boost multilateralism, promote openness and development, and jointly respond to global challenges.

Boao Forum gathers overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, experts to explore further development

Chinese expatriates and residents in Myanmar have volunteered to coordinate large-scale relief operations to communities affected by a devastating earthquake in Mandalay, the second largest city in the country.

The 7.5-magnitude quake, which struck central Myanmar on Saturday, has left 1,700 killed, 3,400 injured and 300 missing, according to the Sunday statement from the country's State Administration Council.

Chinese nationals residing in Myanmar swiftly organized aid networks, establishing over a dozen volunteer groups and fund-raising channels to deliver critical supplies to hard-hit regions, including Mandalay.

Relief materials, including drinking water, food, and medical supplies, have been gathered in Yangon, the capital, which serves as the main hub for collecting donations. Local residents began donating these items on Saturday, with plans to transport them to disaster zones as early as Monday.

Many overseas Chinese living in Yangon drove more than 10 hours overnight to deliver supplies, such as antiseptics, gloves and N95 masks, to rescue teams in Mandalay. Many restaurants offered free meals to rescue workers.

The journey to Mandalay has been challenging due to severe damage to roads, with some routes taking more than 10 hours instead of the usual seven.

"Normally it takes seven or eight hours, but now it's a detour that could cost a dozen hours. We didn't suffer big loss. We just do some delivery errands, the least we can contribute. Others have made relatively great contributions. We didn't help much. What's important is to get the supplies there in time," said Li Chengyuan, head of a Rangoon-based logistics company.

Despite the logistical hurdles, the Yangon market remains well-stocked, allowing for the procurement of necessary items at normal prices.

Nevertheless, essential services such as power supply and communications in disaster-hit areas like Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw have not yet returned to normal, complicating rescue efforts further.

Large rescue machinery is still struggling to enter disaster-hit areas due to the poor road condition between Yangon and Mandalay.

Relief supplies were rushed to the earthquake-stricken areas. On Saturday, China's Yunnan Province launched an emergency response mechanism to prepare tents, blankets, foldable beds and other relief supplies, with the first batch of supplies arriving in Myanmar on Saturday by air.

Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay