--BoaoForumforAsia(BFA)wasfoundedin2001whenAsiancountriessoughteconomicintegrationintheaftermathofthe1998financialcrisis.Twodecadesafteritsinception,theworldagainstandsatacriticalmomentinhistory.--Facingaworldwithgrowinganti-globalizationsentiment,populism,unilateralismandprotectionism,Chinahascomeupwithitsownvisionofglobalgovernance.--ThepastthreeyearshaveseenChina'spersistenteffortsintranslatingtheopening-upinitiativesXiputforwardintoreality,sharingtheopportunitiesofChina'sdevelopmentwiththerestoftheworld.BEIJING,April18(Xinhua)--Inanincreasinglycomplexworldwhereeconomicglobalizationfacesheadwindswithathreatloomingovermultilateralismandfreetrade,whereishumanityheadedandwhatisthefutureofAsia?ChinesePresidentXiJinpingansweredthese"fundamentalquestionsofourtime"attheannualconferenceofBoaoForumforAsia(BFA)in2018,vowingtoopenChinafurtherandcallingforbuildingacommunitywithasharedfutureforhumanity.ThepastthreeyearshaveseenChina'spersistenteffortsintranslatingtheopening-upinitiativesXiputforwardintoreality,sharingtheopportunitiesofChina'sdevelopmentwiththerestoftheworld.PhototakenonApril17,2021showstheBoaoForumforAsia(BFA)InternationalConferenceCenterinBoaoTown,southChina'sHainanProvince.(Xinhua/YangGuanyu)ANEWPHASEOFOPENING-UPXiannouncedabatchofopening-upmeasuresattheannualconferenceofBFAin2018,withtheexpectationthatthecountry'sopening-upeffortswillbenefitallenterprisesandpeopleinChinaandaroundtheworldassoonaspossible.Themeasuresincludedsignificantlybroadeningmarketaccess,creatingamoreattractiveinvestmentenvironment,strengtheningtheprotectionofintellectualpropertyrightsandtakingtheinitiativetoexpandimports,amongothers."Opening-upisastrategicdecisionmadebyChinabasedonitsneedfordevelopmentaswellasaconcreteactiontakenbyChinatomoveeconomicglobalizationforwardinawaythatbenefitspeopleacrosstheworld,"Xisaid.Accordingly,ChinaputintoeffectthelandmarkforeigninvestmentlawonJan.1,2020.Thelawgrantsforeign-investedenterprisesaccesstogovernmentprocurementmarketsthroughfaircompetitionandbansusingadministrativelicensingandpenaltiestoforceforeigninvestorstotransfertechnology.Thenegativelistforoverseasinvestorswasshortenedtimeandagaintofurthereasemarketaccess.Morespecifically,thecountryscrappedforeignownershiprestrictionsontheautomotiveindustryin2018,withoverseascar-makinggiantssuchasBMWandTeslarespondingquicklybyexpandingtheirpresenceintheChinesemarket.AmanworksattheTiexiPlantofBMWBrillianceAutomotive(BBA)inShenyang,capitalofnortheastChina'sLiaoningProvince,Feb.17,2020.(Xinhua/PanYulong)Whileacceleratingthedevelopmentof21pilotfreetradezonesnationwide,ChinareleasedamasterplanofbuildingHainan,thesouthernmostprovincewheretheBFAisheld,intoagloballyinfluentialandhigh-levelfreetradeportbythemiddleofthecentury.Thismonth,thecountryunveiledmorepoliciestofurtherliberalizeandfacilitatetradeintheHainanfreetradeport,allowingcertainregionstorelaxtheircontrolofimportandexportqualificationsforandquantitiesofcommoditiessuchascrudeoil,refinedoilandsugar,andcanceltheirlicensingsystemsforimportssuchasmechanicalandelectricalproducts.Figuresspeakforthemselves.AsglobalcapitalflowsremainvolatileduetouncertaintiestriggeredbyCOVID-19,foreigndirectinvestmentintotheChinesemainland,inactualuse,expanded6.2percentyearonyeartoarecordhighof999.98billionyuan(about153.16billionU.S.dollars)lastyear.Thelatestdataalsoshowedthatthecountry'stotalimportsandexportsofgoodssurged29.2percentyearonyearto8.47trillionyuaninthefirstquarterofthisyear.PeopleworkattheconstructionsiteoftheWest-coastInternetHeadquartersBaseinHaikou,southChina'sHainanProvince,Oct.21,2020.(Xinhua/PuXiaoxu)ASHAREDFUTUREBFAwasfoundedin2001whenAsiancountriessoughteconomicintegrationintheaftermathofthe1998financialcrisis.Twodecadesafteritsinception,theworldagainstandsatacriticalmomentinhistory.Facingaworldwithgrowinganti-globalizationsentiment,populism,unilateralismandprotectionism,Chinahascomeupwithitsownvisionofglobalgovernance.XicalledonBFAparticipantsin2015and2018tobuild"acommunitywithasharedfutureforhumanity,"pursuinganopen,inclusive,cleanandbeautifulworldthatenjoyslastingpeace,universalsecurityandcommonprosperity.China,togetherwithmanycountries,isworkingtoputthisconceptintopractice.Atotalof138countriesand31internationalorganizationshavesignedcooperationagreementswithChinaontheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI),whichaimstoachievepolicy,infrastructure,trade,financialandpeople-to-peopleconnectivityalongandbeyondtheancientSilkRoadtraderoutes."Theinitiative,meetingthedevelopmentneedsofChina,countriesalongtheroutesandtheregionatlarge,willservethecommoninterestsofrelevantpartiesandanswerthecallofourtimeforregionalandglobalcooperation,"XisaidwhenaddressingtheannualconferenceofBFAin2015.TrucksrunatYouyiguanbordergateinPingxiangCity,southChina'sGuangxiZhuangAutonomousRegion,April13,2020.(Xinhua/LuBoan)Meanwhile,theChina-proposedAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB),whichhasgrownto103approvedmembersworldwide,hasbeendedicatedtopromotinginfrastructureconstruction,regionalconnectivityandmutualdevelopmentinAsia.ByJanuary,thebankhadprovidedover22billionU.S.dollarsininfrastructureinvestmentforitsmembersandapproved108projects.BetweenApril2020andOct.16,2021,thebank'scrisisrecoveryfacilitywillofferupto13billionU.S.dollarsworthoffinancingtobothpublicandprivatesectorentitiesinAIIBmembersfacingoratriskofadversepandemic-inducedimpacts.XisaidtheBRIandtheAIIBarebothopeninitiatives.ChinawelcomesallcountriesalongtheroutesandinAsia,aswellasfriendsandpartnersaroundtheworld,toactivelyparticipateintheseendeavors.Inthemeantime,Chinahasalsoplayedanactiveroleinglobalenvironmentalgovernanceandiswillingtoworkwithotherstobuildagreenhome.PhototakenonJan.13,2021showstheheadquartersbuildingoftheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB)inBeijing,capitalofChina.(Xinhua/LiXin)Xihasonmanyoccasionscalledforjointeffortsfromtheinternationalcommunitytotackleclimatechangeandotherenvironmentalchallengesandprotecttheblueplanet.Heannouncedatthegeneraldebateofthe75thsessionoftheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblythatChinaaimstohaveCO2emissionspeakbefore2030andachievecarbonneutralitybefore2060."Toscaleupeffortstoaddressclimatechangeandpromotesustainabledevelopmentbearsonthefutureofhumanity,"XisaidinhisspecialaddressattheWorldEconomicForumVirtualEventoftheDavosAgendathisJanuary.Overtheyears,theBFAhaswitnessedhowChina,asthehostcountry,firmlysupportedthedevelopmentoftheforumandcommittedtoadvocatingdialogueandcooperationamongAsiancountries.Theforum,nowcelebratingits20thanniversary,hasnotonlyplayedauniqueroleinpoolingconsensusandputtingforwardvaluable"Boaoproposals,"butalsoengagedcountriesoutsideofAsiainaddressingglobalissuesandpromotingworlddevelopmentandprosperity.Thisyear'sannualconference,welcomingmorethan2,600attendeesfrommorethan60countriesandregionsoffline,isthemed"AWorldinChange:JoinHandstoStrengthenGlobalGovernanceandAdvanceBeltandRoadCooperation."