Throughout the year, Boao is a quiet beach resort town in southernmost China attracting tourists seeking the trinity of sun, sand and sea. However, for a few days in late March, the city gets swarmed with politicians, corporate executives and opinion leaders from both the media and academic world who gather for the Annual Conference of Boao Forum for Asia.

What is Boao Forum? Why does it attract so many prominent figures? And what is on the agenda for this year?

Here is what you need to know about the Boao Forum for Asia.

Established in 2001, the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is a high-end networking platform for government leaders, business tycoons and academics, where discussions about current issues of relevance to Asia and the whole world are held. The forum’s mission is to promote regional economic integration to achieve common development in Asia.

Boao, a town of 29,000 people in the south Chinese Province of Hainan, is the permanent site of the BFA headquarters and has been the host of the annual gathering since 2002

This year's Boao Forum for Asia is being held under the theme of “Globalization & Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives.” The event will last from March 23 to 26.

The world is undoubtedly facing significant changes in international political and economic landscapes with rising protectionism and degloblalization posing a threat to global economy. Against such backdrop, the conference has divided its focal points for this year into four modules: globalization, growth, reform and new economy.

Forty-four sessions will tackle macroeconomics, politics, finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, social welfare and culture.

On the political leaders’ front, former Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda, former Vice Premier of China Zeng Peiyan, and former Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke will be in attendance. From the business world, Toyota Motor Corporation’s Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, and Warner Bros Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Tsujihara will be participating this year. Former World Bank Chief Economist Justin Lin Yifu is one of many academics joining the discussion as well as CBN News CEO Zhou Jiangong and Financial Times chief correspondent Henny Sender.