The 1st CEO Summit of the Boao Forum for Asia (
BFA) is to be
held on November 19 to 21 in Shenzhen, the BFA Secretariat and
Shenzhen's municipal government announced at a press conference
yesterday.
Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, and
more than 600 entrepreneurs from Asia and other parts of the world
are expected to attend the event, which will be themed "Global
Vision and Challenges."
The BFA's Secretary-General Long Yongtu said it
will mark a new platform for Asian and world business leaders to
focus on current economic issues, exchanges and cooperation, and
substantive and pragmatic discussions.
As it will be near the year's end, a special
session will be devoted to World Economic Development in 2006:
Prospects and Estimates. Senior economists from prestigious
institutions such as Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, CLSA
and Goldman Sachs have been invited to comment on global economic
trends amid a diversity of complex factors.
Thaksin and ministers for economic affairs and
trade from Asian countries are expected to share their insights on
the role of business leaders in Asian and world economic
growth.
Given the importance of energy for the world
economy, another session has been set aside for Energy and
Sustainable Development.
The summit aims to touch upon a wide range of
issues of interest to business leaders, including corporate
branding, technology innovation, internationalization and
individuality of Asian enterprises.
It also intends to promote detailed discussions on
individual sectors and produce practical and effective
solutions.
Top executives from the world's largest logistics
enterprises such as Maersk, UPS and FedEx will meet their Chinese
counterparts, while real estate developers from China will join
government officials in sorting out their respective
responsibilities in housing a billion Chinese.
Liu Yingli, executive vice mayor of Shenzhen, said
the summit would further elevate the influence and appeal of BFA in
south China, which will contribute further to the world
economy.
Li also said it would offer an opportunity for
entrepreneurs in Shenzhen and China at large to share with and
learn from the world's business leaders and help them develop
sooner.
BFA was initiated by former Prime Minister of
Australia Robert James Lee Hawke, former Prime Minister of Japan
Hosokawa Morihiro and former President of the Philippines Fidel
Ramos in 1998.
It was officially established on February 27, 2001,
with a declaration adopted by delegates from 26 founding countries,
and its first annual conference was held in April 2002.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Yuan Fang, October
28, 2005)
