Friends gather together in Hainan, opening a new page in the course of building consensus. In the morning of April 2, 2012, the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2012 kicked off. Li Keqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. He pointed out that the international situation is undergoing profound and complex adjustments and changes. Asia's growth faces both opportunities and challenges, both hopes and difficulties. However, the opportunities outnumber the challenges and the difficulties are surmountable. In line with the trends of evolution and changes in the world, China is willing to work with other Asian countries to jointly promote the healthy and sustainable development of Asia.

At 9:30 a.m., all the participants gathered together in the Boao International Conference Center which was decorated with blooming flowers. Chairman Yasuo Fukuda of BFA's board of directors first of all made a speech.

Amidst warm applauses, Li Keqiang delivered a keynote speech on gathering consensus to promote Asia's healthy and sustainable development. He said that the BFA is an open and inclusive platform, based in Asia yet with a global perspective. Gathering in Boao gives people a good opportunity to look at the world and learn from each other.

He pointed out that Asia is looking at the world as the world pays close attention to Asia. Although the world economy has shown signs of recovery, to achieve complete global recovery will be a long and arduous process. In the past decade and more, Asian countries have acquired greater resilience in dealing with risks and endeavored to promote sound economic development through adjustment and reform. Asia hosts more emerging economies than any other part of the world and its late-development advantages and growth potential have become more evident.

He said that today Asia is at a new starting point. People in Asia are working together to embrace a new rise, which will bring themselves to the world, to a better future and to modernity. To push forward Asia's sound and sustainable development requires gathering consensus and working together. First, we should promote the internal drivers of growth. Asia has a large population, unbalanced development and huge potential of internal demand. While continuing to participate in global competition, Asia should explore and expand domestic demand and fully tap the potential of consumer spending, technological upgrading and improvement of labor skills. Second, we should stay open and inclusive. We should learn from each other through opening up, advocate inclusive growth and maintain communication and coordination on major international and regional issues. We welcome the involvement and constructive role of countries outside the region in Asia's development. Third, we should pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Openness and cooperation benefit all and lead to win-win outcomes. Countries should further enhance consultation and cooperation, promote trade liberalization and investment facilitation, oppose all forms of protectionism, upgrade the connectivity and networks of infrastructure and deepen regional and sub-regional cooperation. Fourth, we should advocate solidarity and harmony. We should continue to help each other, make concerted efforts to cope with challenges and extend greater help to the underdeveloped areas and disadvantages groups. Fifth, we should stay committed to peaceful development. We should view our relations with each other from a strategic perspective, seek common ground while reserving differences and look for the maximum convergence of interests. As long as we respect history and abide by the basic norms governing international relations, we will be able to solve our problems through dialogue, consultation and peaceful negotiation, be it issues left over from history or differences and disputes of the day.

He noted that the Chinese economy is closely interdependent with the economy of Asia. The fundamentals of Chinese economy are sound, the course of development remains unchanged and China is capable of maintaining long-term, steady and fairly fast development. China is still the largest developing country in the world. There are serious problems of lack of balance, coordination and sustainability in its development. Those problems need to be addressed gradually.

He stressed that China will seek progress while maintaining stability as we work to promote scientific development and accelerate change of growth model. We will continue to promote the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable economic and social development in China. To realize that goal, a faster shift of the growth model holds the key, to improve livelihood is the foundation and reform and innovation provide the driving force. We should push forward industrialization, urbanization and agricultural modernization in a balanced way, release the enormous demand for consumption and investment, guarantee food security, upgrade industrial development, speed up the development of service industry and increase its share in the economy and improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of development. We should build a social security net, promote equal access to basic public services, encourage people to go for employment or to create jobs and raise people's income in tandem with economic growth. We will deepen reform of the fiscal sector, taxation, finance, pricing, income distribution and enterprises, advance institutional, technological and management innovation in an all-round manner, adopt an even more proactive opening-up strategy and endeavor to raise the level of an open economy.

He indicated that China makes greater openness to Asia the strategic priority in its opening-up policy. It is willing to cooperate with relevant countries to continue to improve the regional cooperation mechanisms, advance the development of bilateral and multilateral free trade areas, expand cooperation fields and broaden cultural exchanges. China will unswervingly pursue the peaceful road of development, stay committed to building a peaceful and harmonious international and neighboring environment, refrain from seeking hegemony, pursue the policy of building good-neighborliness and friendship and be a good friend and good partner of Asian countries forever.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov and Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani addressed the opening ceremony respectively. Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai as well as Vice Chairman of the BFA Board and Chief Representative of China Zeng Peiyan were present.

Representatives of Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs also addressed the opening ceremony.

More than 2,000 delegates of the political and business sectors, experts and scholars from Asia and the rest of the world attended the event.