| Abstract: | AN annual gathering of business people and government representatives from the Asia Pacific region and beyond each year at the B oao Forum for Asia in south China's Hainan Island is always an occasion to gain fresh insights into economic development in the region and the rest of the world.Since taking the helm of the country,President Xi Jinping has addressed the forum's annum conference multiple times.The theme of this year's conference is' A World in Change:Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and tRoad Cooperation."In the backdrop of the major tensions between China and the U.S.and the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the world over the past year,President Xi,in his speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the 2021 conference,presented a pathway forward for the region and the world,based on cooperation and mutual respect between nations rather than on unilateral decisions of individual countries,while emphasizing the principle of extensive consulta-tion,joint contribution,and shared benefits. |
