Boao Forum for Asia, abbreviated
as BFA, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international
organization modelled after the World Economic Forum
in Davos, Switzerland.
The founding of BFA was driven by the People's Republic
of China and founded by 26 Australasian states on 27
February 2001. The organisation held its first meeting
from April 12-13, 2002. It has its fixed address in
Bo'ao, Hainan, China, although the Secretariat is based
in Beijing.
The BFA holds a high-level annual forum for government,
business, experts, and scholars at Boao, with the focus
of discussion on economics, integration, cooperation,
society, and environment.
In the past it also focused on China's entry to the
World Trade Organization, as well as Southeast Asia's
economic crisis during the 1990s.
The geopolitical strategy 'China's peaceful rise' was
a topic of discussion for the forum in 2004. In addition
to its annual meeting, the BFA also sponsors other
forums and meetings related to Asian issues. The Boao
Forum For Asia Annual Conference 2008 was held on April
10-13 2008. It was attended by heads of government
from countries including Australia, Pakistan, Norway
and Kazakhstan. It also saw the historic meeting of
Taiwan's Republic of China Vice President-elect Vincent
Siew, with People's Republic of China president Hu
Jintao.
