"We should jointly promote the development of Asia and provide enormous opportunities for global economic recovery," Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2024 on Thursday. He stressed that it's essential to stay independent, seek strength through unity, continue to walk side by side with each other, and jointly oppose unilateralism and self-serving practices in the face of clamors for division and confrontation.