As the host of the forum, China wishes to give continuous support within its own capacity to the forum for its sound development, Zhu said at the forum's first annual conference which opened Friday morning in Boao, a town on the eastern coast of China's Hainan Island.

Since BFA, a non-governmental and non-profit international organization with a permanent location, was inaugurated in February last year, the international political and economic situations have undergone great changes, the premier noted.

With the theme of "New Century, New Challenge, A New Asia", this annual conference gives explicit expression to the objective of the forum: to be an Asia-based, globally-envisioned venue for discussions on development, and fully reflects the common aspiration of the Asian countries to strengthen dialogue, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation and promote prosperity.

Zhu said that China stands readily to work together with Asian countries, as well as countries in other parts of the world and people from various circles who care for Asia, and to commit itself to building a thriving new Asia.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2002)