Secretariat of Boao Forum for Asia

On April 21st, 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference via video link and delivered a keynote speech entitled Rising to Challenges and Building a Bright Future Through Cooperation, in which the Global Security Initiative (GSI) was proposed for the first time. Widely received by leaders of participating countries and representatives from political, business and academic communities, this speech was significant in guiding ensuing discussions. President Xi’s metaphor that the international community, as a sophisticated apparatus, cannot afford to have any single part of it removed has been widely quoted. Presidents or prime ministers of Israel, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Kazakhstan and Laos, as well as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) made video remarks. Extensive and intensive discussions are held on the theme “The World in COVID-19 & Beyond: Working Together for Global Development and Shared Future” among over 70 ministerial officials and former members of government, 20 plus heads of international and regional organizations, business leaders and renowned scholars.

I

In his speech, President Xi Jinping underlined the need to jointly defend people’s lives and health. Participants are of the view that strong international synergy in solidarity must be formed against the pandemic. Countries should introduce COVID response policies in light of their own national conditions and features, and strengthen coordination in anti-pandemic measures so as to improve global governance in public health. Vaccines gap must be closed to ensure the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, to which China has made important contributions. The international community should boost cooperation in medical science, seek more effective solutions to COVID-19, and avoid the politicization of scientific issues. We must begin now to plan for global development in the post-COVID era, instead of simply waiting the pandemic out.

In his speech, President Xi Jinping underlined the need to jointly promote economic recovery. Delving into where the world economy is headed and challenges in its way, participants believe that successive blows have been dealt to the world economy by multiple factors including the surging pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and high inflation. Therefore, its recovery will be anything but a smooth ride. The IMF has cut its global growth forecast for 2022 and 2023. Challenges are mounting for the global economic community and decision makers in all countries. We should stay committed to building an open world economy, increase macro policy coordination, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, give a strong boost to investment and trade, and promote green recovery and digital economy.

In his speech, President Xi Jinping underlined the need to jointly maintain peace and stability in the world. Security is the precondition for development. We humanity are living in an indivisible security community. The Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping has been echoed by participants. It has been widely acknowledged that traditional and non-traditional security issues are both prominent and intertwined. Breaking free from the security dilemma and seeking common security is a major task for the world today. Participants are of the view that the GSI helps to put in place a new peace agenda for the world. Staying committed as a responsible major country, China has laid a solid foundation for regional peace and security.

In his speech, President Xi Jinping underlined the need to jointly tackle global governance challenges. It is the prevalent aspiration for all to enhance communication, coordination and cooperation in solidarity. Participants are of the view that each and every emergence from a crisis for the human society would not have been possible without solidarity and cooperation. To properly handle constant global challenges, the only way out for the international community is to work as one to strengthen and improve global governance. We should uphold true multilateralism, and safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. We should fully leverage multilateral mechanisms including the G20 and the World Health Organization, and improve global governance in economy, trade, and health. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China is vitally important for our cooperation in pursuing development and following through on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In his speech, President Xi Jinping also offered his observations on the development of Asia. It was pointed out that having been through hot and cold wars, hardships and tribulations, people in Asia deeply cherish the value of peace and understand that development gains do not come easily. Peace and stability in our region do not fall into our lap automatically or come as charity from any country. Rather, it is the result of the joint efforts of countries in the region. We should resolutely safeguard peace in Asia, vigorously advance Asian cooperation and jointly promote Asian unity. President Xi’s insights have not only answered the call of people in Asia, but also chartered the course for Asian development in the future.

According to the Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Process Annual Report 2022 released during the annual conference, Asia rebounded strongly in its economic growth despite COVID-19 and is providing new impetus to the world economic recovery. Measured by purchasing power parity, Asia’s share in the world economy in 2021 rose to 47.4%. The year 2022, witnessing the presidency of G20, APEC and BRICS going to Indonesia, Thailand and China respectively, can be regarded as the Year of Asia for international cooperation. A greater role played by Asian countries can be expected in promoting multilateralism and global governance.

II

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is one of the most important high-level platforms for political and business dialogue in Asia and even the world. The Annual Conference, as the flagship event, is the highlight of each year. The Chinese government, as the host, attaches great importance to the BFA and Chinese leaders attend its annual conference every year. President Xi Jinping has attended six of its annual conferences. In each of President Xi’s keynote speeches, major announcements were made on China’s domestic and foreign policies, and major propositions brought forward for addressing international and regional issues.

In 2010, Mr. Xi Jinping, then vice president of China, attended the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference and delivered a keynote speech Work Together for Asia's Green and Sustainable Development, putting forward propositions for realizing green and sustainable development in Asia and the world.

In 2013, President Xi Jinping illustrated on promoting common development for Asia and the world in his keynote speech Working Together Toward a Better Future for Asia and the World. President Xi stressed that a single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden. All countries in the world are closely linked and share converging interests. They should both pool and share their strengths. While pursuing its own interests, a country should accommodate the legitimate concerns of others. In pursuing their own development, countries should promote the common development of all and expand common interests among them.

In the keynote speech for 2015 Towards a Community of Common Destiny and a New Future for Asia, President Xi Jinping expressed the proposition of promoting a community of common interest for all mankind through efforts towards such a community for Asia. President Xi proposed to hold a conference of dialogue among Asian civilizations, and expounded the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits upheld by the Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2018, President Xi Jinping’s speech was entitled Openness for Greater Prosperity, Innovation for a Better Future. The year 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Province and Special Economic Zone of Hainan. President Xi reviewed the historical process of China’s reform and opening-up, and reiterated China’s commitment to advancing reform in all respects by announcing that China’s door of opening-up will not be closed and will only open even wider. President Xi proposed new significant measures for greater opening-up, including the announcement that the first China International Import Expo would be held in Shanghai. Major propositions were also expressed on the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In 2021, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony via video link. In his keynote speech Pulling Together Through Adversity and Toward a Shared Future for All, President Xi offered his insights on the critical question of our times, namely where humanity should go from here amid combined forces of changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century. President Xi proposed “Four Partnerships” for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and underscored the importance to advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom as common values of humanity.

It is fair to say that, the BFA Annual Conference has been regarded as an important platform by President Xi Jinping to conduct home-ground diplomacy, announce major domestic and foreign policies, express China’s propositions to the world, and contribute Chinese wisdom. The Global Security Initiative put forward by President Xi this year, as another major international public good provided by China along with the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative, constitutes China's solution to solve the conundrum of global security governance. President Xi Jinping is also the first leader in the world to propose a holistic initiative on global security, which cannot be more relevant considering the current international landscape.

The GSI is underpinned by six commitments, namely, staying committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; staying committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; staying committed to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter; staying committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously; staying committed to peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation; and staying committed to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. These six commitments, with both top-level design and methods and pathways, form an organic whole.

Building on the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, the GSI seeks to promote the establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture. It thus offers a new approach to eliminating the root causes of international conflicts and achieving durable stability and security in the world. Echoing each other, the GSI and GDI are committed to addressing challenges which stand in the way of peace and development, the theme of our times. Focusing on the two imperatives of security and development, both initiatives have provided pathways and injected impetus for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Both the GDI and GSI are open to the whole world. They are hence conducive to pooling global wisdom and strength for development and security.

III

Born in 2001, the BFA was originally committed to promoting economic integration in Asia. Its mission today has evolved into pooling positive energy for the development of Asia and the whole world.

Development is the foundation and the key to resolve all issues. This basic experience of China, host of the BFA, also applies to countries in Asia and beyond. The aim of promoting development, in the final analysis, is pursuing public interests and resolving public grievances, ensuring people’s all-round development and social progress across the board, and sharing development results for common prosperity. This is the common aspiration of people in Asia and across the world. Over the past two decades, the BFA has witnessed the takeoff of Asia as it entered the 21st century, and faced up to challenges together with emerging economies. Over 20 years on, what has remained unchanged for the BFA is its commitment to openness and win-win results, and its aspiration for common development in Asia and beyond. Everything the BFA has been doing since its inception is for the sake of promoting and serving development.

As President Xi Jinping stresses on multiple occasions, security is the precondition for development, and development underpins security. Thus a balance must be stricken between the two. The BFA takes economic development and security seriously, and has therefore launched the Global Economic Development and Security Forum (GEDS), which is the first themed forum focusing on both issues. Committed to pooling wisdom from all parties in the international community and sharing insights on security issues related to economic development, the GEDS will help address risks and challenges standing in the way of development for all countries. In October 2021, the first GEDS was successfully held in Changsha, which has attracted widespread attention and drawn positive feedback from the international community. The GEDS has been widely expected by participants to be institutionalized as an international platform for dialogue on development and security.

In the face of COVID-19 which has been around for over two years and has posed grave challenges to the world, the BFA has reflected on the long-term development of itself and the world at large. Humanity lives in a community upon which their shared destiny hinges. No country can emerge unscathed from global challenges. Greater international cooperation is the only way to better address global challenges and promote development and security across the world.

Despite the surging pandemic and disrupted economic globalization, the BFA has been upholding true multilateralism with solidarity and cooperation. Committed to leveraging its cross-cultural, inter-disciplinary and cross-sectoral interactions and promoting the Boao spirit of inclusiveness, innovation and win-win cooperation, the BFA has made itself a major platform for the international community to jointly tackle global challenges through communication and dialogue.

To keep abreast of the times, the BFA has taken on a new look. With its focus still on the economy, it is expanding into new areas including development and security, scientific and technological innovation, health, education and culture, and media. By pooling consensus from political, business, academic and media communities, the BFA is committed to facilitating the dialogue and cooperation between Asia and the world beyond.

Going forward, by continuing to hold high the banner of globalization and multilateralism, and working with people from the political, business, academic and media communities around the world, the BFA will commit itself to global economic recovery and sustainable growth, to the reform and improvement of the global governance system, and to the common development and security of Asia and beyond.