The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2009 concluded on Sunday in the scenic Boao town in south China's island province of Hainan.

During the three-day event, more than 1,600 political leaders, business people and academic scholars exchanged ideas on the role Asian countries, especially emerging economies, can play to cope with the spreading global financial crisis.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a keynote speech, "Strengthen confidence and deepen cooperation for win-win progress", at the opening plenary meeting.

He said that the conference, with "Asia: Managing Beyond Crisis" as its theme, is a highly important one. It will contribute to the efforts to build consensus, strengthen confidence, deepen cooperation and overcome the crisis.

Wen introduced the steps China has taken to cope with the severe impact of the global financial crisis, saying the country's package plan is already "paying off", and positive changes have taken place in the economy.

China has decided to set up a US$10 billion "China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation" to support infrastructure development in the region, Wen announced.

The BFA annual conference was the eighth of its kind.

BFA was established in 2001 as a platform for high-level interaction between political and business leaders from Asia and around the world. It is aimed at promoting the development goals of Asian countries through greater regional economic integration.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2009)