APD | Boao Economic Forum comes to Manila

By APD writer Melo M. Acuña

Manila, April 19 (APD) – President Rodrigo Duterte is set to speak before the delegates to the first ever Boao Forum for Asia Conference in Manila on Monday, April 22. The two-day conference will also have international business leaders and investors from all over Asia.

The forum is named after the Chinese town of Boao in Hainan Province and at times compared to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Boao Forum for Asia Secretary-General Li Baodong will deliver the welcome remarks along with FFFCCCII immediate past president Domingo Yap and Dr. Francis Chua, Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

President Duterte will deliver the keynote speech during the Welcome Dinner on Monday, April 22, a couple of days before he flies to Beijing for three-day Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF).

On the second day, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Boao Forum for Asia Vice Chairman Zhou Xiaochuan will deliver keynote speeches.

Expected to deliver their remarks are ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jok Hoi, former Thai Deputy Prime Miniser Surakiart Sathirathai, Vice Chairman of the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council of China Reng Hongbin, Fujian Vice Governor Guo Ningning, Chinese Ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua and FFCCCII President Henry Lim Bon Liong.

The Boao Forum is currently chaired by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon with Former President and presently Speaker of the House Gloria Mapacagal-Arroyo as member of the board.

The event is organized by the influential Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) under the leadership of Domingo Yap, Boao Manila conference chairman and co-sponsored by Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

The theme of the Boao Manila Conference is “Shared Future, Concerted Action, Common Development.”

Two years ago, Boao Forum for Asia was held in Cambodia. Last year’s conference was held in Vietnam.

The two-day event will be held at the upscale Shangri-La at the Fort at Bonifacio Global City.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)