The 32-year old World Economic Forum (WEF) is an older brother with rich life experience to the 2-year Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), its innocent baby brother.

On November 2, WEF President Klaus Schwab had an informative conversation with Long Yongtu, secretary general of the Boao Forum for Asia.

Long said: "WEF has existed for many years while the BFA is just two years old, so BFA very much wishes to cooperate with WEF. WEF has experienced many ups and downs in the past 32 years. However, it still succeeds. As the most influnencial global economic forum, WEF has many things worth BFA studying."

According to Long, the two economic forums are complementary. Just as the development of the Asian economy cannot be separated from the development of world economy, the development of BFA cannot be separated from the development of WEF.

WEF President Klaus Schwab said: "Currently the world globalization invites regional organizations to act as its base. Both WEF and BFA are not just like brothers but are also mutually complementary."

Schwab has a good impression of Boao because of infrastructure construction and the insightful topics. "Given the fact that the world economic order is changing fast, we really need to listen to different supplementary voices and organize officials, experts, and scholars to discuss issues of current concern," said Schwab.

Schwab thinks interactive and mutual trust is the soul of the World Economic Forum.

"The forum provides a platform for government, scholars and business circles to exchange views through dialogue. Today, problems of all kinds exist. Development imbalance, poverty and SARS are examples. Therefore, there is a need to discuss them with openness and mutual trust. I believe mutual trust applies to the Boao Forum for Asia."

Long explained the spirit of Boao Forum as openness, pragmatism and universality.

"First, the forum is open, international and non-exclusive. It not only discusses Asian issues, but global issues too. Its members are not only from Asian countries, and we welcome experts and scholars worldwide. Second, the Boao Forum not only discusses concerned issues of governments and enterprises, it also pays attention to the concerned voices of people, like environmental protection, employment and traffic. Third, the forum aims to attract as many participants as possible, thus laying a strong foundation for itself."

Schwab praised the speech made by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the opening ceremony, saying that it was "very impressive". "His speech mentioned China's important role in Asian economic integration, and showed its sense of responsibility and political influence."

Long said that "the regional cooperation that Premier Wen emphasized is also open to the whole world, and the Boao Forum will adopt it as a basic principle in its future work."

(China.org.cn by Tang Fuchun and Zheng Guihong, November 4, 2003)