The Boao Forum for Asia 2016: Pre-Conference Reflections

Introduction

Welcome to this inaugural edition of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Pre-Conference Reflections.

Our vision for this new report is to help fuel the questions and ideas of delegates as they prepare to gather at Boao to envision Asia’s new future. Between 22-25 March, over 1,000 of the brightest, most successful and most influential minds in government, business, academia and media will be together at the 2016 Annual Conference with quality time to consider the big and very real idea of Asia’s new future influencing the future of the world.

With the support of Deloitte, the BFA Annual Conference’s Intellectual Supporting Partner, we have compiled a collection of articles which look at the critical dynamics that will help shape Asia’s new future: the economic and policy outlook of the world’s largest economy — the United States (US); the economic and policy outlook for the nation with the largest population and largest influence among the new economic “super-powers” — China; the economics and policies outlook for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — which is the world’s fastest growing region yet a coalescence of diverse economies and cultures, impacted by China as its largest constituent; the outlook for China’s energy policy as the nation faces the non-complementary challenges of slower economic growth and rising pollution; and the opportunities and risks that are lurking undiscovered in the digitizing, globalizing, ever-expanding and inter-twined business eco-system in which enterprises operate.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2016 Annual Conference and to your active participation in the conference program. There is no more important time than now to engage in the dialogue on the way forward.

Zhou Wenzhong
Secretary General
Boao Forum for Asia