From the heart of Beijing to the edges of the global stage, you're at Roundtable.
I'm Niu Honglin.
The Bo'ao Forum for Asia, currently underway in Hainan province, has become a place where governments, companies and scholars gather not only to debate global challenges, but also to test ideas for solving them.
As the forum marks its 25th anniversary, discussions are focusing on a central question can economic growth, technological innovation and environmental sustainability move forward together?
For today's show, I'm joined by Yu Xuan and Steve Hatherly.
Now pull up a chair and join the conversation.
For decades, the Boao Forum for Asia has grown into a platform where ideas don't just circulate but really shape futures.
This year's conference marking its 25th anniversary highlights the fact that Asia is on its way from adapting to leading.
From artificial intelligence unlocking new potential in the ocean economy to a region-wide push toward low-carbon transformation.
The conversation is shifting from growth at any cost to growth with purpose.
Now, nearly 2000 participants from over 60 countries in Hainan as we speak are exploring what sustainable development really looks like in practice.
And as high-tech shipping lanes and green zones redefine growth.
One big question also remains how are the zero tariff frameworks in coastal regions such as Hainan Bridge, the gap between global competition and regional cooperation?
And how is Asia taking the lead in the world's green transition as addressed by the BFA?
I'm asking a lot of questions because that's what people do during these kind of forums or these kind of summits they bring together the smartest minds and have the smartest minds sharing their ideas and insights about the future of the world.
But to be more specific, the Bo'ao Forum.
For those who are not that familiar with this particular forum, what should we do to lay the ground for them?
First of all, the Bo'ao Forum for Asia was proposed in 1998 and it was conceived as a platform for discussing issues, Asian issues, and enhancing cooperation among Asian countries and between Asia and the rest of the world.
The forum was formally inaugurated in 2001 and now has 29 initial countries.
Its permanent conference site in Boao, which is a city in that island province.
Hainan has hosted the annual gathering every year since 2002.
That beautiful island, Hainan, way down south from us here.
From here in Beijing, it's about, what, a four and a half hour flight away.
Yeah, it's just off the east coast of Vietnam, I think, if you're curious about... geography.
You've been there a few times, have you not?
Yes, actually I was there, I think, in 2017, probably 18 and 19 as well, or you know, some years around those times.
And it was quite pleasant during this time of the year.
And because it's a permanent site, all the constructions are familiar.
You're not going to miss anything, any conference, if you really aim to listen to one, because all of the participants would provide brilliant ideas.
And if you're interested particularly in, for example, the development of artificial intelligence in medical industry, this year you get to go into one of the sub forums and listen to the guests discussing and also providing the latest information in the industry, which is quite a draw, quite the reason that a lot of people are going there.
Yeah, AI will be a topic of hot discussion, I'm sure, this time.
The forum itself is somewhat similar to the World Economic Forum that takes place in Switzerland, in the sense that they bring together different leaders from government, they have leaders of business, they have leaders from the world of academia and they all get together to discuss these pressing global issues.
And it plays a really important role in shaping and not just discussing those issues in terms of Asia's economic architecture.
This isn't just a theoretical discussion like a what if It's?
What can we do?
Practical applications to make our future better.
And the timing of this this year is really important because it's right on the heels of the two sessions.
Right.
So the proximity is pretty significant because the forum has served as and it has for a long time this international stage.
And it's an opportunity for China to kind of translate, if you will, its domestic policy decisions that were made during the two sessions to a global audience.
And because this year is the first year of China's 15th five-year plan, so the function is sharper than ever.
The plan's priorities, including technological innovation, high-quality development and also expended opening up, are expected to run through virtually every Chinese-led session at the forum.
And also for international investors, policymakers and partners trying to understand what China's next chapter looks like.
Boao is the place that they would like to go.
Yes, because we don't have to shy away from the fact that every single year, because there are different forums,
Some forums would pick the host cities or host countries, which means that yes, it's about regional development.
It's about, maybe after a few years.
Essentially maybe the forum was about economic development, like the Boao Forum or what we have just mentioned.
The Davos Forum, for example, is similar that it transcends from centering economic development to something broader to, for example, green development, for also regional safety.
But for the Boao case, because it's here in Boao all the time.
So of course people would pay a bit more attention to what China can do in developing, in pushing forward regional development and regional cooperation.
And for Boao itself, or actually for Hainan itself, it's quite significant this year, absolutely yeah.
It was in December right of last year that Hainan launched its island-wide special customs operations and at that time it officially and formally became the world's largest free trade port by area, and this year the forum is literally right inside that area.
It was like the forum is taking place and Kosovo quite literally incited, because what people can actually experience is the life and also everyday chores that can happen in that island.
So zero tariffs is the topic that has been frequently mentioned, now applied to 74 of goods entering the island, and corporate income tax can also encourage industries in the port stands at a very preferential rate of 15.
Yeah, so Hainan functions as kind of a platform now, if you will.
Here's an example.
This is so kind of cool.
So there can be investors from Thailand who bring in Green coffee beans from Thailand?
No, from Colombia.
So then they process them there in Hainan, and then they'll export the finished product, the finished coffee to Thailand.
Nope, to Australia.
So this is like a hub.
It's like a global trading hub.
And that is why, when people are in Hainan discussing zero-tariff policy that can be applied in a certain area, or you can transform a port or a zone into a zero tariff zone how to do that you can actually use Hainan as an example in your discussion while discussing it in Hainan, and that is making this place also not only a place to talk about these different initiatives, but demonstrate what it can actually deliver to local people, to investors, to foreign traders.
And for those who are attending the forum, they can even test the water themselves.
Do a little bit of experiment.
And this year, what's also very interesting is that it marks Boao Forum's 25th anniversary.
And because of that, many people are actually looking back 25 years ago, looking back at the situation at that time.
We even have a guest saying that when the forum was first launched, China's GDP was about 13 trillion US dollars.
And today it has surpassed 19 trillion US dollars.
So these kind of A little bit renaissance and thinking about the past and looking at the future, and looking at how the future would develop too, is also quite interesting.
Yeah, and that's one of the big themes from this year's forum is multilateralism to help to stabilize uncertainty or anchor uncertainty.
We see it in the news every day.
Uncertainty is becoming kind of a defining feature of the news or of the world these days.
So multilateralism you know, having countries work together towards a common goal and global governance, that's become kind of a hot button issue this year as well.
Ban Ki-moon is the chairman of the forum.
He's also the former U.N. secretary general.
And he said that the world is becoming more divided, more dangerous, and less predictable.
So just by that statement alone, you can hear what the importance of multilateralism would mean.
So, echoing this, discussions at the annual conference focus on rebuilding trust, strengthening global governance, enhancing policy coordination, advancing China's high-quality development and also elevating the role of the global south.
And these efforts aim to inject stability into an increasingly volatile global landscape.
We kind of mentioned this already.
That is, regional cooperation is definitely something that these kind of forums would focus on because yes, people want to quote unquote take advantage of the development of the region so that their own countries can find a better opportunities, But at the same time, for major countries.
We also believe major countries believe that by contributing to regional development, they can also benefit from it and lead the way for the entire region.
Besides that, technological innovation is another.
Well, we've mentioned this at the very beginning.
You cannot.
You cannot, don't talk about AI in any of the major international forums anymore these days.
Yeah, conversations are moving from the big ideas the discussion side of maybe we can do this in the future to real life impact.
And that's talking about AI transforming industries to AI. making things a whole lot smarter.
Smarter healthcare, smarter digital technologies now too, are starting to reshape how economies will grow.
But as we know, AI is growing and rising at a really almost breakneck speed.
So it's also raising really tough questions around governance.
And we talk about ethics all the time.
They'll be discussing that there.
And also the future of jobs.
Yes.
And also speaking of governance, openness and inclusive development for a shared future is also on the agenda.
The forum emphasized inclusive growth through topics such as ESG environmental, social and governance.
So corporate transformation and sustainable development is very, very important during this year's session.
And meanwhile it is also highlighted that China's commitment to high-level opening up is expected to provide long-term certainty to the global economy.
And, of course, the Hainan Free Trade Port is a very, very good example And it has become a focal point, with its island-wide independent customs operation advancing steadily and also emerging as a new gateway for international investment and also cooperation.
I knew forums like this would sound a bit technical, a bit boring, abstract, but I was there.
I was there for three years and for these kind of places you get to experience the trend of the world in details.
For example, the first time I noticed car hailing services expanding to a certain extent was that when I was there, for I don't remember exactly which year, but I think one major car hailing company provided free services in Boao Island.
That is no matter which hotel you're staying in.
Did you go last year?
Because I think I remember talking about this last year, or maybe they've done it multiple years.
Yes, they've been doing it for consecutive years.
And my year was the first time they did that.
At that time, car hailing app was definitely not as common as now.
But they were demonstrating how easy the service can be.
And also at that time, well, in this occasion, it's free.
You can get a car from any hotel you stayed in to the major venue and from the major venue to wherever you want to be.
And also I think it was Also the first time that I saw a robot that can be a Bristol providing coffee.
Also, the first time for me was in Boao Forum.
So they demonstrate these kind of technologies.
They put them on display.
They put them on display so that world leaders, business insiders, experts would not only see what's happening, but also experience what might be the edge of the technology the latest application of certain technology yeah and this is now we can talk about shipping because um the the island itself is obviously an island therefore really important for Shipping and shipping routes also China's, you know, southern coastal cities shipping is really important there too.
And we get to see AI on display not just because of optimizing shipping routes or improving port efficiency.
But there's new potential, too.
And there's not just robots serving coffee at the ports.
The robots are kind of taking over the heavy lifting, as you will.
There's a port where there's a good example.
I think it's in Ningbo, the port there.
And they've brought in four-legged robots to inspect the containers.
Now, you might think, oh, is that a big deal?
Well, there was a report that said three of these robots, those robot inspectors, they can finish a task in just about 20 minutes.
And that is an important number because that job used to take four to six humans, about an hour to do.
And they do it, by the way, with 99% accuracy.
So you have way more efficiency in the container inspection and also reduced time.
And actually, the whole industry is getting so automated with all of these technology robots and AI.
So terminals are also running themselves, basically, up north in the Tianjin municipality.
Not far from us.
Where the largest integrated port in northern China is also located.
The entire container terminal workflow is also being automated using a mix of All of these big names AI, 5G networks and also the Beidou satellite positioning.
We mentioned it before in previous shows.
And these autonomous control of core technologies is the key to this Tianjin port smart transformation.
Yeah, they have driverless electric trucks there.
They have automated rail-mounted cranes there.
And the system runs, you said it already, this dual-band 5G network.
And what that means is it means it's fast.
Yes, very correct.
And it means it's dependable.
And we're not only talking about AI working or unlocking new potentials for China's ocean economy, because it's related to the position of Boal or Hainan itself, but also because during these kind of forums, we get to listen to or get to know about the latest information in different industries.
And sometimes by design, because all of the forums would have set agenda about what to talk about in different sub forums.
They invite experts and guests sharing what they know, because usually what they know, if they have a international platform or a stage, it will be the latest information.
And also because sometimes the reason we care about these forums is that you get to hear some of some new ideas, some new trends and something cool happening in different industries.
For example, this is the first time I hear about something called a blue pharmacy.
And apparently AI and infotech are being integrated in the bio manufacturing to tap into ocean resources.
The coastal city of Qingdao is emerging as a leader in China's marine research, with a growing focus on marine pharmaceuticals.
While Germany actually dominates chemical medicine and the United States leads in biomedicine, Qingdao has carved out its own niche, which is producing two of the world's 16 approved marine drugs.
And then to bridge research and industry, the city is advancing the industrialization of Antarctic krill.
Krill, those are those little shrimp-looking things that whales and seals love to eat.
Yeah, with reserves exceeding one billion tons, krill underprints...
Qingdao's strategy supporting future protein supply while serving as a key raw material in the fast-growing global pharmaceutical market and that projected to reach 2 trillion by 2030.
That's very cool because when it comes to the reporting and news stories of these kind of activities and forums, you don't usually because Roundtable we're a radio and podcast show we have the time to start from the beginning, from what the Boao Forum is to what are the highlights this year.
What is the theme this year?
But usually, if you watch a video of a three-minute interview of someone, you kind of find it hard to put your finger on.
What is the relationship between this exact topic and the Boao Forum that you keep mentioning?
That's because the information is from there.
And we continue to look for the highlights that are demonstrated during the forums, the fun little stories, the information that we treasure that are being shared on these kind of forums.
For instance.
We also see that AI becoming the new driving force for ocean economy, with China's foreign trade hitting record highs over 45 trillion yuan in 2025, according to Customs Debt and AI is becoming definitely the new driver, helping ports handle this massive volume of cargo more safely and efficiently.
It is happening everywhere.
And in this year we see that, besides innovation and technological development, over well, because when we talk about the Boao Forum, we're focusing on the summit, we're focusing on the 24th to 27th.
These days, that's where all people are gathered in Boao, but under its flagship also many different activities are happening around the country, and they held different types of activities.
For this year, I think it's over 50 different activities, And one trend we see here is that over a quarter of those activities are related to technological innovation and green development.
And one very interesting, I think quite significant and demonstrative idea is that, right before the forum we're talking about now, China has started to put the Boao zero carbon demonstration area into full use, meaning that that demonstration zone is operating, it's happening and it's not submitting any carbon.
That's where your robot is making coffee for people at a cost of zero carbon.
That Tianjin port that we mentioned earlier a few minutes ago also runs completely on green energy too.
Yeah, so it's not just about how different countries can make their economies grow quickly, but it's how the economies can grow quickly while maintaining sustainability.
And actually the results are very, very striking, because carbon emissions from buildings and infrastructure have dropped from over 11000 tons in 2019 to just around 15 tons in 2025.
That is almost 100% decrease.
And, at the same time, the zone that the area now produces about 29 million kilowatt hour of green electricity each year, more than enough to cover its own needs, with surplus power fed back into the grid.
Yeah, that's that Boao zero carbon demonstration zone you were talking about.
Yes.
Okay so, after talking about the fun highlights, the information we get, the insights shared by experts during the Boao Forum.
For common people like us, for young people who are looking for a preferential industry that they might, in the future, invest their time and energy in.
For those who are just working in a company, do not really know about any world trends or any significant strategy, national ones or international ones.
How can we be affected by these kind of international forums, in your opinion?
Do you think you care if you're not a media professional?
Seriously, I just find it...
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Right.
Would we be talking about this?
Well, I think with these types of forums they can be a little bit perhaps heavy to listen to on the news because it is so abstract.
Oftentimes we hear quotes from the people who are there and we wonder what it is we're talking about.
But I don't think it's about...
For people in general, I think we see the results later.
For example, job creation.
If you're not a business traveler.
The economic activity in the area during the form specifically, can bring a lot of jobs or create a lot of jobs.
And then, if you think of a bigger picture outside of the island itself, we gave the example before about importing beans from Colombia, having them processed on the island of Hainan and then sent out to Australia.
Now think about how many jobs that's creating there.
And then the cost of the coffee because it's tariff-free.
That's going to get passed on to us as consumers as well.
Now, those types of things we don't see immediately in front of us, but they are the results of forums like this.
And also as just ordinary people, Of course, we can experience the, I think, the result of all of these discussions.
Of course, they are discussing some big issues happening worldwide, the global trend and everything.
And guess who is living in this world?
Of course, us, the ordinary people.
So we will definitely see some of the results the free trade ports, the special custom operations who are buying the products, of course, the businesses, operators and also consumers right, consumers are, I think, the final end of experiencing, no matter the price differences or that the policies, they can feel that and going greener, the whole economy is going greener.
We can definitely experience that more EVs on the road and electricity is are generated by greener sources.
So everything, I think, if you are careful enough, you can feel it.
If you listen to roundtables yes, you'll know exactly how it impacts you.
Yes, and also, we see talented people all around and with uh, the internet being there giving you the in the access of these information actually, more people are able to find out their little opportunity.
No matter if you are someone who's looking for a i don't know voluntary position in these places, you can get it.
And also we see more, and one of the trend here is that more and more of these forums would like to listen to the ideas of the younger generation.
They're trying to include the younger generation's perspective.
And those things are also quite important for individuals in their daily lives.
You don't know, maybe when you pay attention, the chance would appear for you.
