BOAO, Hainan province, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived here early Saturday morning to attend the 2007 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) and will give a keynote speech at the formal opening of the annual event.

    This is Arroyo's first appearance at the BFA, according to the secretariat of the forum.

    The Philippines is one of the 26 founding members of the forum which was established in 2001. Since the first annual conference held in 2002, the forum has developed into a platform for leaders in government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share visions on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large.

    With the theme "Asia Winning in Today's Global Economy -- Innovation and Sustainable Development", the 2007 annual conference is held from April 20-22 in Boao, a coastal town and the permanent BFA site in Hainan Province, south China.