Guests at Boao forum commend China's green development

Guests at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 acclaimed China's feat and experience in green development, saying the country will help drive sustainable development in Asia and even the rest of the world.

The BFA Annual Conference 2025 has set up a series of discussions on climate action, green transformation, and sustainability, with participants aiming to build international consensus and strengthen cooperation on green transition.

On Tuesday, the first day of this year's forum, the "Boao Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone" was officially renamed the "Boao Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone".

Through systematic carbon reduction initiatives such as renewable energy utilization, green building renovations, and eco-friendly transportation, the zone has achieved zero-carbon operations.

This initiative has been widely praised by attendees.

"It's a good case that individual companies or forum can do the part of the job in reducing CO2 emissions. If people can look at Boao as a virtuous example, then maybe that could be reduplicated in other parts of the world. So it's very positive," said Michele Geraci, former undersecretary of state at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development.

The forum also released the report of Addressing Climate Change: Asia Going Green, alongside multiple discussions on topics such as clean energy transition and sustainable growth.

Many participants see Boao as a key platform for exploring new opportunities in green development.

"China plays a very important role in many aspects of the energy transition. And in the greening of the Norwegian shipping fleet, the Chinese shipyards play an integral role. So, there's a very important Norwegian-Chinese partnership on the green transition," said Vebjorn Dysvik, the Norwegian ambassador to China.

China's green transition is already making an impact, with more than half of its installed power generation capacity now coming from non-fossil energy sources, meeting its renewable energy target six years ahead of schedule.

Attendees at the forum expressed hopes that China's advanced experience in green transformation will help drive sustainable development across Asia and beyond.

"China can also show technology and transfer technology to countries that are less able. They could also provide aid ODA (official development assistance) to other countries, or organizations like us that can then transfer that knowledge to other countries as well," said Helena McLeod, deputy director general of the Global Green Growth Institute.

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".

Guests at Boao forum commend China's green development

Multiple Chinese rescue teams have arrived in the disaster-stricken areas in Myanmar, rushing to work with local responders around the clock to search for survivors following the massive and devastating earthquake that occurred on Friday.

In the hard-hit city of Mandalay, many Chinese rescuers have been working nearly 20 hours to search for lives among collapsed buildings and under the rubble.

The operation has faced significant hurdles with repeated aftershocks in the city complicating the rescue efforts. Despite these challenges, Chinese rescuers have made notable progress, as two dedicated rescue corridors have been established to accelerate the search and rescue process.

So far Chinese teams have rescued six survivors in severely-hit Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. The rescuers combed through the ruins of apartments, hotels and hospitals to find signs of life. Continuous aftershocks, power cuts, destroyed roads and communication interruptions made their rescue work even harder.

Meanwhile, more Chinese rescue teams are heading to Myanmar, bringing in earthquake experts, structural engineers, medical personnel and canine units, as well as life detectors, demolition equipment and field hospital systems.

Despite challenges like confined working areas, frequent aftershocks, residual fires and dense smoke, local and international rescuers are racing against time, hoping to save more people as the crucial 72-hour window of earthquake rescue closes.

The death toll from the 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has risen to 2,056, with approximately 3,900 people injured and nearly 270 reported missing, according to the country's State Administration Council Information Team on Monday.

Chinese rescuers race against time in Myanmar quake relief