BOAO, Hainan, April 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference 2004 is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at the international conference center in Boao, a small town in China's southernmost island province of Hainan.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

    Fidel Ramos, chairman of the BFA Board of Directors and former Philippine president, made a welcome speech at the opening ceremony, which is presided over by Long Yongtu, secretary-generalof the BFA.

    Robert Hawke, former Australian prime minister, Datuk Seri Mahathir Bin Mohamad, former Malaysian prime minister, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, and Czech President Vaclav Klaus will attend the BFA Leaders' Forum, which is the first plenary session after the opening ceremony.

    More than 1,000 delegates from 35 countries and regions will attend the annual conference, with the theme -- Asia searching forwin-win: an Asia open to the world.

    It is learned the event will be broadcast live by major Chinese media such as China Central Television, China National Radio and China Radio International, as well as major web sites including Xinhuanet (www.xinhuanet.com) and China Economic Net (www.ce.cn). Enditem