The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) has become more indispensable than ever in today's fast-evolving global landscape, according to Tan Kong Yam, an Emeritus Professor of Economics with the School of Social Sciences, Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
The Boao Forum for Asia 2025 Annual Conference opened on Tuesday in the town of Boao in south China's Hainan Province.
With the theme "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future", the four-day forum has attracted nearly 2,000 attendees from more than 60 countries and regions to participate in more than 50 events and many bilateral events, according to the press conference.
"We are currently living through an era of profound global changes, marked by rising geopolitical tension, economic fragmentation, the climate crisis and disruptive technological shift all occurring simultaneously. In such a complex environment, dialog platforms like the Boao Forum for Asia has not diminished in importance, rather they have become even more indispensable than ever before," said Tan.
The BFA provides a distinctive Asian perspective for improving global governance, as well as more opportunities for developing countries and Global South countries to voice their opinions, said Tan.
"Boao has a unique positioning as a high-level dialog platform. Centered on Asia, Boao distinguishes itself from other international forums typically dominated by the West. It provides a valuable opportunity for developing countries, especially those in Asia and the Global South, to make their voices heard. Boao Forum is critical for promoting regional cooperation, especially in key areas such as infrastructure, trade, green development and the digital economy. The forum is a platform for soft power. In an increasingly multi-polar world, Boao helps build trust through dialogs," he said.
Tan also highlighted that Chinese economy shows remarkable resilience, marked by advancements across various sectors, including artificial intelligence.
"The overall outlook for China's economy continues to show strong resilience. Key sectors such as the advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and clean energy are receiving robust policy support. The roll-out of the digital renminbi and the development of smart logistics also indicate that China is actively positioning itself for future economic trends. In recent years, China's progress in the field of artificial intelligence has been remarkable. A particular note is the breakthrough achieved by DeepSeek, which stands as a concentrated expression of China's innovation capacity in AI. It is a result of the synergy between China's national technology strategy, vast market scale, institutional advantages and global outreach. It not only signals China's growing global competitiveness in AI, but also position China as a potential driver of the next global productivity revolution," he said.
The BFA was founded in 2001 and offers a platform for dialogue between leaders from government, business, academia and other organizations to discuss economic, social and environmental issues, promote economic cooperation and support the sustainable development of Asia's economy.
Boao Forum more indispensable in current rapidly-changing world: economist
Egypt's former Minister of Antiquities, Mamdouh Al Damaty, has hailed the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping as a significant step forward in bilateral cultural exchanges, noting that the trip has not only reinvigorated bilateral cooperation in heritage and archaeology but also underscored China's active role in bolstering Egypt's capacity for documenting and preserving its ancient discoveries.
Xi landed in Cairo on Tuesday for a state visit to Egypt. During the visit, Xi held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents on Belt and Road cooperation, artificial intelligence, economic and trade, and industrial and supply chain cooperation.
"This is a very important visit. China has a very high standing, not just on the political and economic fronts globally, but also on the cultural and civilizational level, much like Egypt. Therefore, Sino-Egyptian relations need to be strengthened even further, with more cultural and civilizational exchanges in addition to economic cooperation," Mamdouh said in a recent interview.
Egypt, cradle of one of the world's most ancient civilizations, has held a special appeal for Xi. During the 2016 visit to Egypt, Xi traveled to Luxor, an ancient city nestled on the banks of the Nile, widely described as one of the world's largest open-air museums.
"There was extensive cooperation between us and sharing of experiences and know-how. During my term, we had the Year of Culture between Egypt and China. During his visit in 2016, I had the pleasure of accompanying his excellency President Xi on a tour of the Karnak Temple and Luxor in Egypt. He was very interested in Egyptian civilization. His questions and remarks showed passion and very good knowledge of Egyptian culture and history," Mamdouh said.
China began participating in archaeological fieldwork in Egypt in 2018, bringing advanced expertise to help unravel enduring mysteries of ancient Egyptian civilization. Working closely with Egyptian counterparts, Chinese teams have unearthed numerous artifacts and features, but the most notable achievement remains the discovery of the Southern Sacred Lake at the Montu Temple complex near Karnak.
"This type of cooperation started in 2018. One of the excavation teams is working in the Temple of Montu in the north of Karnak Temple, which is a very important location rich in monuments. There used to be a French excavation teams before, but now this team has been doing very well there and in three locations by introducing the latest technology. The real contribution of the latest technology is not the excavation itself but, more crucially, introducing technology in 3D documentation, archiving and digitization of discoveries. This is a revolutionary step in the antiquities sector," he said.
Looking ahead to future cooperation between the two countries, Mamdouh said he looks forward to the full implementation of the 2025 bilateral agreement on heritage protection and anti-smuggling efforts, and praised President Xi's visit as a testament to China's leadership in advancing such initiatives.
"In my field, for instance, China and Egypt signed an agreement in 2025 on the protection and management of world cultural heritage, as well as on combating the smuggling and illicit trade of cultural relics, heritage items, and ancient artifacts. It would be wonderful to see this agreement implemented and put into action. I believe the Chinese President's visit has demonstrated leadership in advancing such initiatives," Mamdouh said.
China, Egypt need to continue promoting cultural cooperation: former Egyptian minister
