Boao Forum for Asia at 25 Years: Wu Shicun Points to "Prime Time"

China News Service Boao, March 23 — Title: 25 Years of the Boao Asia Forum: Wu Shicun Says “In the Prime of Youth”

China News Service reporters Wang Ziqian and Zhang Qianyi

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Boao Asia Forum. As the 2026 annual meeting approaches, Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Huayang Marine Research Center and Founding Director of the South China Sea Research Institute, is busy preparing for this year’s South China Sea sub-forum.

From participating in the forum’s preparations in 2001, to providing service support for the annual meeting, and then founding the South China Sea sub-forum, Wu Shicun has personally witnessed the transformation of the Boao Asia Forum from an idea into reality, from a humble beginning to a thriving organization.

Origin: Responding to Common Challenges

The Boao Asia Forum was established in 2001, but Wu Shicun says, “The story of the forum begins in 1998.”

In 1997, the Asian financial crisis erupted, severely impacting the economies of Asian countries. This prompted regional leaders to realize the need to build an effective communication and exchange platform to address future common challenges and accelerate regional economic integration.

In the fall of 1998, Asian political leaders including former Philippine President Ramos, former Australian Prime Minister Hawke, and former Japanese Prime Minister Hosokawa Morihiro jointly proposed establishing an Asian forum similar to the “Davos World Economic Forum,” with the permanent venue set in Boao Town, Qionghai City, Hainan Province, China.

On March 12, Wu Shicun was interviewed by China News Service. (Photo provided by China South Sea Research Institute)

At that time, Wu Shicun was Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and participated throughout the forum’s preparation. He recalls that after the central government clearly supported the idea of establishing an Asian forum, relevant departments in Hainan acted swiftly; over the next two years, Hainan dispatched delegations to visit various Asian countries and accelerated infrastructure development in the Boao area to improve reception conditions for large international conferences.

After intense preparations, on February 27, 2001, representatives from 26 founding countries gathered in Boao to officially establish the “Boao Asia Forum” with its seat in Hainan. Since then, the forum’s organizational structure was gradually improved, the secretariat was formally established and began operations, and the annual meeting was fixed for late March or early April each year.

From then on, the once obscure seaside town of Boao became closely linked to the development of Asia and the world.

Growth: Maintaining Vibrant Vitality

Today, Boao features a grand international conference center, numerous high-end hotels, and a stunning landscape where rivers and seas intertwine. However, at the forum’s inception, the facilities were very basic. The first annual meeting in 2002 had a main venue that was unimaginably simple — just a hastily built membrane structure tent.

On March 21, 2025, an aerial photo shows the permanent site of the Boao Asia Forum. (Photo by China News Service photographer Luo Yunfei)

" I still remember that the tent was drafty on all sides and lacked air conditioning. Leaders and delegates from various countries squeezed together," Wu Shicun said. “What was even more challenging was that Hainan lacked experience in hosting large international forums, and some awkward moments are still vivid in my memory.”

In June 2003, Wu Shicun, then Director of the Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, took on the role of overall service coordinator for the forum. “I made a solemn promise to provincial leaders: if I failed to deliver good service for that year’s forum, I would resign,” he recalled.

Wu Shicun’s confidence came from significant improvements in hardware facilities and, more importantly, from the service team breaking routine practices and exploring an effective support mechanism.

Looking back over the past 25 years, despite changing international circumstances, the Boao Asia Forum has always maintained vigorous vitality amid challenges.

Wu Shicun believes that although the Boao Asia Forum is a non-governmental, non-official international organization, it has a natural appeal thanks to the support of the Chinese government, vast market potential, and economic cooperation opportunities. Each year, the forum focuses on global hotspots and international concerns, gathering influential figures from politics, business, and academia worldwide. Foreign leaders also see the forum as an important occasion to meet with Chinese leaders, exchange views, and discuss development cooperation. This unique platform value has made the Boao Asia Forum irreplaceable in terms of reputation, influence, and attraction.

“The forum also deeply empowers the development of Hainan. Over the past 25 years, Hainan has made great progress in infrastructure and hosting large-scale events. The forum has broadened horizons, clarified development ideas, enhanced international visibility, and built extensive networks. It can be said that Hainan’s prosperity is closely linked to the forum’s roots here,” Wu Shicun said. “In the future, the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the development of the Boao Asia Forum will continue to complement each other.”

Innovation: Promoting South China Sea Cooperation

In June 2013, after stepping down as Director of the Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Wu Shicun fully dedicated himself to his research on the South China Sea, which he began in the early 1990s, shifting from behind-the-scenes supporter to active participant on the forum stage.

In 2014, the South China Sea sub-forum was established at the Boao Asia Forum. As one of its initiators, Wu Shicun’s initial idea was simple but pragmatic: “The Boao Asia Forum should not only discuss economic issues, as sometimes economic and security issues are inseparable. For example, in China-ASEAN relations, the South China Sea issue is always a key topic.”

On March 28, 2024, the South China Sea themed sub-forum at the Boao Asia Forum 2024 was held in Hainan. Wu Shicun hosted the forum. (Photo by China News Service photographer Luo Yunfei)

“Can we create a new platform at Boao that focuses on maritime cooperation in the South China Sea without ‘arguing’?” Based on this idea, preparations for the South China Sea sub-forum began, inviting representatives from all parties to participate and engage in in-depth discussions on order and governance in the South China Sea.

Wu Shicun said that so far, the sub-forum has held twelve sessions in a row. “With Boao’s influence, we realized our initial vision — inclusive hosting, seeking common ground while reserving differences, promoting cooperation, and building consensus.”

Future: Still Room for Improvement

Twenty-five years ago, the Boao Asia Forum was positioned as the “Davos of the East.” Wu Shicun believes that compared to established forums like the “Davos World Economic Forum” and the “Munich Security Conference,” the Boao Asia Forum is still in its “youthful stage” and has room to grow and improve.

Regarding the future development of the Boao Asia Forum, Wu Shicun suggests: leveraging unique and innovative topics, inviting top-tier speakers, and ensuring extensive media coverage to enhance influence; fostering high-level dialogue among political, business, and think tank leaders; continuing to serve as a bridge for communication, promoting tangible results; setting key issues, increasing ideological depth, and optimizing international conference models to build consensus. With forward-thinking ideas and China’s irresistible domestic market, the forum can inject more certainty into a turbulent and transformative world.

“I believe that with the rise of emerging Asian countries, China’s increasing integration into the global stage, and the rapid development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the next 25 years will see the Boao Asia Forum grow into a world-class forum comparable to those ‘old brands’,” Wu Shicun said. (End)