The scenery of Boao [Photo/cfp.cn]

The 2021 Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is to be held from April 18 to 21 in Boao, a coastal town in South China's Hainan province. The theme of the annual conference is set as "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation".

The organizers expect it to be the world's first large-scale, face-to-face international conference with about 2,000 participants since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as China has largely put the virus under control.

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.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the forum. Twenty years ago, the BFA was set up and Boao was chosen to be the permanent site of its annual conference. Since then, this old-time fishing port has been attracting attention from around the world.

The scenery of Boao [Photo/cfp.cn]

Boao means many fat fish in the Chinese language. It thrives due to the geographic position, where three rivers converge. In the past, people in the town made their living by running small businesses, fishing and paddy field farming.

Thanks to the BFA annual conference, it has experienced radical changes.  

“The Boao Forum for Asia is a gold brand that boosts the development of Qionghai city,” said He Qiongmei, Party secretary of Qionghai where Boao is located.  

Lin Juehao, a 75-year-old teacher who spent his whole life in Boao, told the Hainan Daily that he never dared to think when he was young that the modern comforts he enjoyed now could ever happen.  

The mud buildings constructed in the 1970s are difficult to find in Boao, as they’ve been replaced by small buildings in Southeast Asian style that give the town its exotic charm.

“Although Boao is a small town, there are several 5-star hotels and a few yacht docks here,” Lin said. “It’s as good as big cities,” he added.

Holding the conference has boosted Boao’s infrastructure construction. From roads and bridges to airports, transportation in the town has been greatly improved. Its public service facilities have also been enhanced a lot.  

Moreover, due to the adjustment of the town’s overall planning and advancing of key projects, Boao has restructured its industries. The town upgraded its development model, shifting from the primary industry to the service sector, which has remarkably changed people’s way of living and production. Boao people now earn money by running their own businesses or working in the service industry.