Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on Monday. Zhou Xiaochuan, former governor of the People's Bank of China, has become China's chief representative and the vice chairman at the forum.
The anti-globalization sentiment that originated from the West continues to spread over the world, and is challenging Asian economic integration, a report released by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) said Sunday. According to the "Progress of Asian Economic Integration Annual Report 2018," a cautious attitude should be adopted to predict the future of Asia's economic integration.
Protectionism poses challenges to Asia Asian regional economic integration shifted to center on China in 2017, based on previous arduous efforts and strong support from other Asian countries, according to a report on Asian competitiveness released by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on Sunday. As the largest economy in Asia, China has made active efforts to propel Asian economic integration, Lin Guijun, vice president of the Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics and also one of the writers of the report, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the forum, which is being held in South China's Hainan Province.
Protectionist measures will never be rewarded and only opening-up and mutually beneficial policies can bring in economic prosperity for the Asian and global economies, senior experts said on Sunday before the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan province. Free trade serves as the engine for economic growth, with openness expected to be the fuel.
