A Clustered Community

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 opened in Boao, a small town in China’s southernmost province of Hainan, on March 25.

Since its establishment over two decades ago, the BFA has been committed to promoting economic cooperation and shared development in Asia and the wider world.

Themed Asia in the Changing World: Toward a Shared Future, this year’s conference, which concluded on March 28, focused on promoting multilateralism, fostering openness and growth, and addressing global challenges with a special emphasis on Asia’s development. In the hope of gathering all countries to build a community with a shared future, the event also implemented agreements made at the 2024 United Nations Summit of the Future, which was held at the UN headquarters in New York City last September, on issues ranging from peace and security to global governance.

“Sugarcane grows from the same stalk, and lemongrass thrives in clusters.” In 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping quoted this Indonesian saying twice—once in his address at the opening ceremony of the BFA Annual Conference in April and again at the First Session of the 17th Summit of the Group of 20 in Bali, Indonesia, in November.

The quote underscores a fundamental truth: Only through unity can we achieve shared prosperity. The global community must recognize that division and rivalry benefit no one, and that only by pursuing solidarity and common development can we stay on the right path.

Since the dawn of this century, Asia has enjoyed relative stability as well as sustained and rapid economic growth. The region has also seen accelerated economic integration, deepening cultural ties and expanding cooperation in technological innovation, as well as the robust development of the digital and green economies. Meanwhile, continuous upgrades in both policies and infrastructure have strengthened connectivity across the continent.

Through the collective commitment of Asian nations and their peoples, the region has solidified its position as a powerhouse of global development and an oasis of peace.

The world is undergoing a pivotal transition. However, despite all the great shifts and uncertainties, Asia remains a key driver of global economic growth. As the world looks to the region for continued momentum, it is imperative that Asia does not become a battleground for great power rivalry. Instead, it should stand as a model for international cooperation.

A key member of the Asian family, China has solidified its role as a pillar of the region’s stability, an engine driving economic growth and a cornerstone of regional security.

Building on these achievements, the country remains steadfast in actively promoting regional cooperation and pursuing a higher level of openness.

In line with these efforts, China has also put forward the Global Development Initiative, which supports global sustainable development by addressing pressing global challenges—particularly in developing countries, the Global Security Initiative, which promotes durable peace worldwide, and the Global Civilizations Initiative, which calls for promoting human progress with inclusiveness and mutual learning. All three initiatives aim to promote win-win cooperation and shared prosperity within a multilateral framework.

The world can only thrive when Asia prospers. To build Asia into a better place to live in, fully leverage its resilience, wisdom and strength, and make the continent an anchor of peace, a source for growth and a new frontier for cooperation, all Asian countries should work in tandem to address shared challenges.

By uniting and persisting in our undertakings, we can create great synergy through mutually beneficial cooperation.

As we all inhabit the same planet, we should work toward a community with a shared future for humanity by championing the ideals of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit and by standing united against all difficulties.

Asian nations should come together more closely than ever to set the stage for further growth and continue to drive the universal pursuit of peace and progress.