MANILA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The 20-year-old Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) has become more relevant and influential over the years and will "try to provide an 'Asian perspective' for improving global governance," former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has said.
"The BFA in the last 20 years mirrors the development of China itself. As China's role in the world has increased, similarly, the importance and influence of the Boao Forum have improved, indeed, step by step in the past 20 years," Arroyo told Xinhua in a recent written interview.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the BFA, which was formally inaugurated in February 2001. Since 2002, the BFA has been holding its annual conference in Boao, a coastal town in China's southernmost province of Hainan.
Over 4,000 people will attend this year's BFA annual conference scheduled for April 18-21. As a non-governmental and non-profit international organization, the BFA is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals.
"On BFA's 20th anniversary, it would be a useful forum to discuss how to maximize the beneficial effects, not only for Asia but also for the rest of the world, now and in the 'new normal' of the post-COVID-19 era," she said, praising the BFA for having "played an important role in promoting exchanges and cooperation among Asian countries."
Arroyo, a board member of the BFA, hoped that this year's BFA annual conference "will try to provide an 'Asian perspective' for improving global governance."
"I think there is a widespread feeling that many of the successful approaches towards the pandemic are from Asian countries. Thus, voices from Boao on the matter will be listened to with great interest by the rest of the world," she added.
Arroyo will deliver a speech during the forum on the new way of international cooperation in a post-pandemic world.
Arroyo said that coping with COVID-19 and the world's worst recession since World War II are "the most urgent challenges" confronting the world now amid rising uncertainties and instabilities. "Against the pandemic and the recession, and leading to the future, multilateralism is the answer," she said.
Arroyo stressed the importance of multilateralism as "it is in all nations' interests to find a worldwide solution."
"In today's globalized society, it has proven to be physically costly to establish the measures that can protect one's borders from imported COVID-19 infection. But more important, in today's globalized economy, it has proven to be financially costly to isolate one's economy because that is similar to shutting down the economy," she said.
"It is ultimately in each country's self-interest to ensure that no country is left behind," she added. "In today's interlocked world, the weakest link in the chain will sooner or later be a problem for the other links."
Arroyo hailed China for sharing its COVID-19 vaccines with the rest of the world, especially developing countries. "We appreciate that China considers its vaccine against the coronavirus as a global public good."
"In times like this, the best attitude is to look for solutions in cooperation with as many parties and countries as possible that have the means to contribute to the effort," she said.
The first batch of Sinovac vaccines donated by China arrived in the Philippines on Feb. 28, allowing this Southeast Asian country to kick off its vaccination drive. China is also the first supplier of the vaccines purchased by the Philippine government.
Arroyo said the relationship between Manila and Beijing has been good. "As the Belt and Road Initiative and our 'Build Build Build' continue to jell, the benefits will become clearer and clearer to all," especially for the Southeast Asian country's large proportion of young people, who are to benefit from increasing employment opportunities, trade and investment.
"China's assistance in building and developing infrastructure projects in the Philippines has paved the way for new dams, bridges, and railways," she said, citing the "friendship bridge" China helped to build in Manila as "a huge symbol today of the good relationship between our peoples, and of things to come." Enditem