Int'l delegates at Boao forum highlight China's role in driving Asia's economic growth

Global leaders at this year's Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2025 Annual Conference have expressed optimism about Asia's economic prospects, highlighting China's pivotal role in delivering much-needed economic stability in the region.

The BFA Annual Conference 2025 opened on Thursday in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. Founded in 2001, the BFA is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals. Running from March 25 to 28, this year's conference is themed "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future."

It has brought together over 2,000 global representatives to discuss Asia's economic growth and the rebalancing of globalization.

"It was excellent. It's so valuable to have the briefing from the eminent leaders and to be able to map the way forward. There were some very clear signals that Asia will continue to progress, and that's a strong message," Jenny Shipley, former prime minister of New Zealand, said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Thursday delivered a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the forum, emphasizing the importance of fostering international cooperation, promoting emerging sectors such as new energy vehicles, and ensuring regional security. He highlighted China's commitment to opening up further to the world, regardless of changes in the external environment.

"I think just very simply, it is good that China is emphasizing that we need to build a community of shared future because that's what eight billion people in the world are going to have: a shared future. I'm glad that China is leading the way on that area," said Kishore Mahbubani, a former Singaporean representative to the United Nations.

"And we heard a report by Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, which is very encouraging for the Chinese economic development. And I think it was also important to hear that the Boao Forum for Asia continues to be a very important platform for dialogue in Asia, but also broader for other countries in the world," said Tamas Hajba, senior advisor for China and head of the OECD Beijing Office.

Patricio Contesse, vice chairman of Chilean commodities producer Sociedad Quimicay Minera de Chile SA, said Asia countries are leading global growth in the right way.

"They clearly show the path that the world needs to go these days in order of free trade, open economies. So, I think Asia is really leading on that direction in a really nice way," said Contesse.

Yasiru Ranaraja, founding director of the Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka, highlighted the importance of the BFA in gathering leaders from across the region to discuss cooperation and issues of common concern.

"It has always attracted the regional leaders. I think going forward, the Boao Forum in general have to be the forum for Asia. I believe this forum is very much important and I'm happy to be here. It was very resourceful for me," said Ranaraja.

For the remainder of the four-day forum, parallel sessions focus on green finance and emerging productivity in Asian countries.

Int'l delegates at Boao forum highlight China's role in driving Asia's economic growth

China's domestically produced C909 aircraft was delivered to Lao Airlines on Sunday, marking its first entry into the Lao market.

This C909 aircraft, featuring a 90-seat all-economy class configuration, was delivered under a leasing arrangement.

According to the aircraft maker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), the C909 bears interior and exterior signage in Lao, a custom-designed livery and a print of Dok Champa, national flower of Laos, on its tail.

It is expected to undergo a series of preparations in Laos before entering commercial operations.

"This is the first time that a Chinese commercial jetliner has entered the Lao market. COMAC has dispatched a dedicated team to assist Lao Airlines with various preparations, including manual development, personnel training, aviation materials support, and maintenance capacity building. Professional teams of pilots, cabin crew, dispatchers, and maintenance experts are also dispatched to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the C909 aircraft in Laos," said Wu Guofang, deputy general manager from Customer Service Center of COMAC.

Formerly known as ARJ21, the C909 aircraft is a domestically developed regional jetliner with a range of 2,225 to 3,700 km, making it suitable for most domestic routes in Laos as well as regional international flights.

So far, 162 units of C909 have been delivered, serving 645 routes across 158 cities and safely transporting over 20 million passengers, said COMAC.

In 2022, this model was delivered to its first overseas client TransNusa, an Indonesian airline, making it China's first indigenously developed passenger jetliner to enter foreign markets.

China's homegrown C909 jetliner delivered to Laos for first time