Secretary General Li Baodong
Boao Forum for Asia
On behalf of the Boao Forum for Asia and the Board of Directors, I'd like to express heartfelt appreciation to you for your outstanding contributions to the Forum and its mission in the past six years as Secretary General.
My colleagues and l enjoy working with you. We are impressed by your leadership, efficiency and innovativeness which has ensured the strategy and blueprint of the Board of Directors be executed to the letter. We are pleased to see that the Annual Conference has grown into the premier platform for dialogue among leaders from Asia, emerging markets and the world at large. You have beaten the complexity and uncertainties of the 3-year-long pandemic and unfavorable geopolitical and geoeconomic tendencies, and stood out as a consistent, strong and vocal advocate for multilateralism, free trade, Asian economic integration, globalization and an open world economy.
Six years ago, the Board of Directors decided to expand into five new areas as an important new pillar of the Boao Forum. You are the one that turns that into reality. The forum now has four thematic conferences under its umbrella. Some take years of preparation and hard work to take shape. Today, these thematic conferences have established themselves as a powerful BFA voice on health, innovation, green development in urban & rural areas and economic security.
We are pleased to see BFA global footprint expand into more than a dozen Asian and European countries and areas. Regional cooperation conferences bring BFA views and perspectives to our Initial countries and other stakeholders. We're based in Asia, but not confined to Asia. BFA, as its name suggests, is a global forum for Asia.
The BFA Academy continues to be the source of Asian solutions on a number of regional and global issues, including climate change, digital economy, trade and investment, economic cooperation, sustainability, poverty, health and innovation. BFA used to be known for its events and conferences. Now, it has come to be recognized as an influential regional think tank that generates ideas and inspiration with a series of reports and research papers published on an annual basis.
Secretary General Li, you have made remarkable contributions to the above progress. The Forum, the Board of Directors and I myself owe you a big thank-you and a big applause.
For me personally, working with you has always been an enlightening and enjoyable experience, just like the many years we spent together in the United Nations. We have been both good colleagues and close friends. Soon-taek and I keep in fond memory the many moments with you and Hailin. We wish you a happy, healthy and relaxing life with more time to spend with family and friends.
Chairman
Boao Forum for Asia