Press conference for 2026 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference held in China's Hainan

A press conference for the 2026 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference and the launch of its flagship reports was held on Tuesday in Boao, south China's Hainan Province.

Zhang Jun, secretary general of the BFA, briefed the media on preparations and arrangements for the annual event, running from March 24 to 27.

Two flagship reports on the economic outlook for Asia, integration progress and the region's sustainable development were released during the press conference.

Asia remains the world's primary growth engine, with its economy forecast to expand by 4.5% in 2026, according to the report titled "Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2026."

Asia's share of global GDP is projected to continue its upward trajectory, rising from 49.2% in 2025 to 49.7% in 2026 on a purchasing power parity basis, it said.

The foundations of Asian trade integration have continued to strengthen, the report noted, citing data that intra-regional trade dependence edged up from 56.3% in 2023 to 57.2% in 2024, as major economies across the region increasingly orient their trade ties toward one another, it said.

"China and ASEAN continue to stand out as the region's twin 'anchors of stability'," the report pointed out.

Digital transformation has emerged as a new engine for sustainable development in Asia, according to the other report, titled "Sustainable Development: Asia and the World Annual Report 2026 – Sustainable Development in Asia amid Global Transformation."

Asia has taken the initiative to explore future-oriented development models through digital technologies, striving to translate its diverse economic structures into overall competitiveness and regional resilience, said the report.  

The digital economy has become a key driver of economic growth in Asia, the report notes, citing figures showing that by 2025, Asia's digital economy had reached a scale of $27 trillion, accounting for 46% of GDP.

Specifically, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a vital driver of social and economic progress across Asia, the report noted.

This year's conference in Boao is themed "Shaping a Shared Future: New Dynamics, New Opportunities, New Cooperation."

According to the organizers, about 2,000 representatives from more than 60 countries and regions will attend the event, along with over 1,100 journalists from around 150 media organizations covering the conference.