Background: Boao Forum for Asia

The annual Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) conference started on Thursday in Boao, a coastal town in China's southernmost island province of Hainan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the conference.

Under the theme "Asia's New Future: Toward a Community of Common Destiny", the four-day event will witness more than 70 formal discussions on macroeconomy, industrial transformation, regional development, technological innovation, politics and regional security.

The BFA, a nongovernmental and nonprofit international organization, has been held annually since 2002 at its permanent site in Boao.

A high-end dialogue platform, it is dedicated to promoting common development through regional integration of the Asian economy.

The forum has seen its worldwide influence increase, as in addition to regional topics it discusses global issues such as Internet management and financial reform.

Leaders from 15 other countries as well as nearly 2,800 officials, businessmen and media representatives will attend the forum.