The Chinese government's latest work report suggests that China is aspiring to play a bigger role in the international community, while shouldering greater responsibilities. One of China's many global contributions is the annual Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan, located in south China. The forum facilitates discussions in Asia and beyond. And on the sidelines of the Two Sessions, CGTN senior correspondent Tian Wei spoke with Zhou Wenzhong - secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia. Zhou also previously served as the Chinese Ambassador to the United States. He broke down the theme of this year's forum - globalization and free trade.

Zhou said that the world is now facing the challenge of de-globalization, where some developed countries blame globalization for their economic problems. The former ambassador said he hopes that these countries can understand that they have benefited a great deal from globalization. Zhou expressed hopes that the international community and representatives will work together to improve the system of governance, both domestically and internationally. It's for this reason that this year's forum takes on a theme of globalization and free trade.

Earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chinese President Xi Jinping quoted Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" in his keynote speech, saying "it was the best of times and it was the worst of times." And when asked about what this time means for the Boao Forum, Zhou said he is optimistic and will continue to work hard to achieve a brighter future.

"All the members and countries are getting more and more interested in our agenda. On the other hand, we also ask ourselves where we should take our forum to, what our future would be like. We’ll see. Because basically it’s an economic forum, but economic development in Asian countries may take different forms, so this time, the forum’s focus will be growth, new economy, One Belt and One Road, what we’ll do next time, I think we’ll see,” said the secretary-general.