Asia aims to pursue a "diverse and integrated" path of sustainable development

Zhang Jun

Asia has played an important leading role in the current transformation of the world economy, serving as a source of vitality for global economic growth and a key driving force for the future.

The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 recently concluded. Over the course of four days, about 2,000 participants and more than 1,000 journalists engaged in deep exchanges around more than 50 events, jointly resonating with the main themes of unity, cooperation, openness, and innovation in Asia, turning challenges into opportunities, and promoting the joint construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Currently, the world is facing various instabilities and uncertainties, and the international institutions and rules that serve as the cornerstone of global stability are being eroded. However, challenges and opportunities always coexist, and the world still has ample space for development and progress. In particular, the Asia region has generally maintained a stable development trend, demonstrating strong resilience and tremendous growth potential. The international community should strengthen confidence and cooperate, facing challenges courageously while also creating opportunities in crises and achieving win-win outcomes through collaboration.

In a world interwoven with turmoil, there is a greater need than ever to strengthen global governance. Multilateralism and economic globalization remain the correct path for countries to jointly address global challenges. It is essential to leverage the role of global South countries, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and actively advocate for development concepts such as openness, inclusiveness, shared benefits, balance, and win-win outcomes, accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promote the construction of an open world economy, and improve global economic governance.

Asia must pursue a sustainable development path characterized by “diversity and unity.” In the current situation, the importance of strengthening regional cooperation has further increased. In the face of challenges such as global economic slowdown, loosening economic security ties, and diversification of supply chains, Asia cannot go it alone and needs to respond to uncertainties through regional cooperation. It is essential to further promote infrastructure connectivity within the region and ensure smooth trade and investment, striving to break down barriers to cooperation and unblock points of collaboration. The level of regional integration should be enhanced to provide strong support for regional development and inject greater vitality into the world economy and trade. Policy coordination and institutional cooperation should be strengthened to maintain regional financial security and stability, and effectively utilize the power of the rule of law to safeguard common economic security.

Strengthening the alignment between various regional cooperation organizations and frameworks in Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, including promoting the alignment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), to form a coordinated policy synergy. Based on the important role RCEP has already played, further improve the utilization rate of rules, timely take steps to expand its scope, and unleash greater potential, making RCEP a stronger support for promoting regional economic prosperity and global economic development.

China is becoming a leader in global economic growth and technological innovation, reshaping the world economic landscape and the innovation landscape. China insists on advancing high-quality development through continuous and stable development planning, which has far-reaching global implications. Chinese-style modernization adds certainty to world development and provides a new path to address global development imbalances.

Experience from Asia indicates that a rules-based multilateral trading system and an open and transparent global trade and investment governance structure are valuable assets for global economic governance. The world economy is undergoing a transformation and transition in its growth model, with innovation-driven characteristics becoming more prominent, the concept of green development becoming more widespread, and the demands for equitable development becoming more urgent. We must adhere to long-termism, invest in innovation, invest in people, and invest in the future. Asia has played an important leading role in the current transformation of the world economy, serving as a source of vitality for global economic growth and a key driving force for the future. Unlike past industrial transformations, Asia is deeply involved in technological innovation and rule-making, which will profoundly impact the global economic growth model.

The wave of digitalization and greening in the world economy is developing in depth. Asia has broken the traditional dichotomy of “growth and low carbon are incompatible,” achieving deep integration of green transformation and digital transformation. Renewable energy provides foundational support for digitalization, and technologies such as smart grids and artificial intelligence continuously enhance the efficiency of clean energy utilization. Recently, tensions in the Middle East have escalated, causing multiple spillover effects and leading to fluctuations in international oil prices, further highlighting the importance and urgency of maintaining energy security and accelerating energy transition. This also reiterates that green production capacity is not “overcapacity,” but rather increasingly in demand, and Asia should further play a leading role.

Focusing on Asia and looking toward the world, deepening dialogue and cooperation, and building consensus among all parties, the Boao Forum for Asia has become a “golden signboard” for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among Asian countries and countries worldwide, growing into a high-end dialogue platform with global influence. For 25 years, the Boao Forum for Asia has consistently aimed to promote regional cooperation and economic integration in Asia, standing in Asia while embracing the world, continuously promoting dialogue, building consensus, and amplifying the Asian voice. This is an important experience that has allowed the forum to continue developing and expanding its global influence.

(Author is the Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia)

People’s Daily (March 29, 2026, Page 3)