BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- This year's annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will focus on development trends, industrial changes, the forefront of innovation, beautiful life and global governance, BFA Secretary General Li Baodong said here Tuesday.

The conference, scheduled for March 24 to 27 in Boao, a coastal town in China's southern island province of Hainan, will be themed "A world in change: Bond together for a shared future," Li told a news conference.

It will feature about 50 official sessions, including the opening plenum, themed sessions, roundtable meetings and special dialogues. They are categorized into five modules: development trends, industrial changes, the forefront of innovation, beautiful life and global governance, he said.

Noting the mission of BFA is to gather positive energy for the development of Asia and the world, Li said this year's conference will respond to the general concerns of the international community, focus on the frontier issues of global development, and continue to support multilateralism and international cooperation.

More than 2,000 people from all over the world, including national leaders, representatives of international organizations, ministers, entrepreneurs and media representatives have been invited to attend the conference.

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.