The Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia is not just a grand gathering of business leaders from Asia and around the globe. Presidents and prime ministers have maintained a keen interest in this high-level platform on Asian affairs. The Secretariat of the Forum announces today an impressive line up of state and government leaders, including Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, Choummaly Sayasone, President, the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Denmark Sukhbaatar Batbold, Prime Minister, Mongolia, Mohammad Reza Rahimi, First Vice President, Islamic Republic of Iran, Karim Halili, Vice President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Jose Luis Guterres, Deputy Prime Minister, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Chhay Than, Senior Minister and Minister of Planning, Kingdom of Cambodia and Goh Chok Tong, Senior Minister, Singapore.

Most of the leaders are from Asian countries with the exception of Prime Minister of Denmark.

Also attending the conference are a number of former statesmen such as Fukuda Yasuo, Former Prime Minister, Japan, Fidel V. RAMOS, Former President of the Philippines, Bob Hawke, Former Prime Minister of Australia Sergey Terechshenko, Former Prime Minister, Kazakhstan, Zeng Peiyan, Former Vice Premier, China, Shaukat Aziz, Former Prime Minister, Pakistan, Datuk Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi，F(xiàn)ormer Prime Minister, Malaysia Henry Paulson, the 74th United States Treasury Secretary. Their vision and experiences have added value to the success of this annual event.

Donald Tsang Yam-Kuen，Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR and CHUI Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR will also be present.

Approximately 40 ministers or ministerial level officials will attend and engage in various dialogues and discussions, including bilateral and private talks. Ministers of Chinese economic decision-making ministries will host a number of private, informal breakfast meetings with some 50 multinational companies. Together with their foreign counterparts, they will also engage in panel discussions with a much broader audience at various sessions.

Ministers of emerging markets have been active in the Forum, this year represented by India Environment Minister Ramesh and Vietnam Industry and Trade Minister Do Huu Hao who will preside over an India-China Luncheon Session and the Emerging Markets Session.

High-level government participation is one of the attractions of this annual event though equally important are 900 business leaders from around the world.