Strengthen Equal Dialogue and Promote Unity and Cooperation (Focus on the Boao Asia Forum 2026 Annual Conference)

On the morning of March 26, the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 held its plenary session, gathering approximately 2,000 representatives from the political, economic, and academic communities of over 60 countries and regions to discuss the theme “Shaping a Shared Future: New Situations, New Opportunities, New Collaborations,” focusing on cooperation and development strategies for Asia and the world.

Attendees from China and abroad highly affirmed that China’s stable and predictable development continuously injects certainty and positive energy into the world, believing that strengthening equal dialogue and promoting solidarity and cooperation are fundamental ways to resolve the current global dilemmas, calling for all parties to join hands in addressing global risks and challenges, and jointly creating a better future.

“Strengthening dialogue and cooperation is no longer optional but a necessary requirement”

Currently, global challenges are emerging endlessly, and humanity stands at a new crossroads, with “strengthening unity and cooperation” becoming a strong consensus among attendees.

“The future of Asia depends on the choices we make. Choosing open cooperation, Asia will continue to be a source of stability for the world,” said Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, emphasizing the need to strengthen the role of multilateralism and international organizations in the complex global situation, urging like-minded countries to work together to uphold fairness, justice, and development in the world.

“In the face of regional conflicts, uneven economic and social development, and environmental pollution, strengthening dialogue and cooperation is no longer optional but a necessary requirement,” said Sahiba Gafarova, Chair of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, noting that China’s four major global initiatives have pointed the way for building a safe and sustainable world.

“The theme of this forum’s annual meeting is ‘Shaping a Shared Future: New Situations, New Opportunities, New Collaborations.’ This sends a strong signal: creating the future requires open cooperation, achieving win-win results through collaboration,” said South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, stating that countries should engage deeply in dialogue and exchanges in the fields of technological innovation, institutional synergy, and infrastructure connectivity to learn from each other and make joint progress.

Sri Lankan Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena stated that many developing countries need to expand cooperation spaces and work together to tackle challenges, “China has made significant developmental achievements in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, and we hope that China and Sri Lanka can strengthen cooperative ties to achieve sustainable development together.”

“Promoting higher-level integration to solidify the foundation of the Asian economy”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Boao Forum for Asia. Since its establishment, the forum has consistently focused on Asia while looking towards the world, fostering Asian consensus and promoting cooperation among all parties, playing a positive role in advancing economic globalization and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

“Over the past 25 years, the Boao Forum for Asia has promoted higher-level integration, solidifying the foundation of the Asian economy, maintaining its position as a major engine of the world economy with abundant vitality, resilience, and dynamism, and becoming a significant contributor to global development,” said Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia. Today, the forum has become an important platform advocating multilateralism, free trade, and globalization, and a steadfast force in practicing open regionalism and promoting international cooperation.

“The development process of the Boao Forum for Asia reflects the region’s unwavering commitment to promoting dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation. These commitments are rooted in Asia’s rich cultural traditions and play an important role in addressing today’s global challenges,” said Zhai Jun, Secretary-General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, expressing confidence that as it enters a new stage of development, the Boao Forum for Asia will continue to play its role as a platform to contribute to creating an open, inclusive, and prosperous Asia.

“I look forward to the Boao Forum for Asia annual meeting every year. While sharing the benefits of China’s policies, everyone also exchanges and learns from each other,” said Dr. Chia Tai Group’s Senior Chairman, Charoen Pokphand, one of the founders of the Boao Forum for Asia, noting that the implementation of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan will bring new opportunities, “China is politically stable, has achieved remarkable high-quality development, and is unwaveringly expanding high-level openness, providing foreign enterprises with unprecedented development space.”

“This is my first time attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual meeting, and I have gained a lot. The presence of representatives from around the world is enough to prove the strong appeal of the Boao Forum for Asia,” said Gordy Hight, President and CEO of the Canadian Business Council, emphasizing that in the face of global challenges, all parties need to work together to build a more trustworthy and resilient regional framework, creating a stable and predictable policy environment through forward-looking regulatory innovations to attract more investment and inject new vitality into the Asia-Pacific regional economy.

“Sharing valuable experiences to assist countries in achieving common development”

“Artificial intelligence” and “digital economy” have become hot topics at the forum annual meeting. Attendees engaged in lively discussions on how to seize the historical opportunities presented by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, ensuring that the results of technological innovation benefit people in all countries.

“China is one of the global leaders in humanoid robot development, with one of its core advantages being a strong manufacturing base and deep talent pool,” said Sam Doss, Senior Advisor to the Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative at the University of Oxford, adding, “China has always been willing to share valuable experiences to assist countries in achieving common development.”

China is AstraZeneca’s second-largest market globally and a strategic hub for its global innovation. “We are actively using cutting-edge digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, to continuously drive scientific innovation and support sustainable development,” said Lin Xiao, General Manager of AstraZeneca China.

Lin Yifu, Honorary Dean of the National School of Development at Peking University, stated that economic development relies on technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and the continuous emergence of new productive forces, “China has an ultra-large domestic market and various application scenarios in fields like artificial intelligence, which is an advantage that other countries do not possess.”

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia and its strategic partner for five consecutive years, Vivo Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. showcased its “Blue Technology” matrix and the latest technological achievements in artificial intelligence, 6G, and mixed reality at the forum annual meeting. “In this new technological revolution centered around artificial intelligence, mobile phones are the first site for the implementation of AI. In the future, we will build a sensing system based on imaging to drive AI’s key leap from the digital world to the physical world,” said Hu Baishan, President and COO of Vivo, expressing Vivo’s willingness to collaborate with global partners for joint innovation and mutual trust and benefits, assisting people in pursuing a better life.

“China’s leading technologies in battery power systems, solar energy, wind energy, and other fields are bringing opportunities for low-carbon transition and green development to countries around the world,” stated Forrest, Executive Chairman of the Fortescue River Group in Australia, noting that the Chinese government is actively promoting energy transition, establishing a globally leading green energy system, and making positive contributions to global climate change responses.

(Reporters Zhai Qinqi, Dong Zeyang, Wang Shuohan, Ren Xiaonan contributed to this article, and Mike Odoro, Peng Xiangshan, and Hanan Jilani also contributed.)