Foreign media will be partners for the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) for the first time, according to a BFA press officer on Friday.

The Financial Times, Bloomberg and BBC World have become the BFA's official media partners, said Li Qian, press officer of the BFA secretariat.

BFA's influence in the world community is increasing, Li said, with more and more people interested in what goes on there.

"The participation of foreign media will enhance BFA's overseas influence," she said, adding "foreign media also hope to expand their business in China through the forum."

A number of foreign media expressed their willingness to act as BFA's media partners, including Time and Reuters, she said.

"We chose only three but many have said they would like to act as BFA's media partners next year", she said.

"Bloomberg will adopt a very practical approach as BFA's media partner," said Eugene Tung, Bloomberg's Beijing bureau chief.

According to the secretariat, 183 overseas journalists have applied to report the forum.

The theme of the BFA 2007 Conference is "Asia Winning in Today's Global Economy - Innovation and Sustainable Development".

The conference will run from April 20 to 22 in Boao, a coastal town and the permanent BFA site in Hainan Province, south China.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2007)