(from L to R): Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia, Long Yongtu, secretary general of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), and Fidel V. Ramos, former President of the Philippines, attend the press conference of the BFA annual conference 2007 in Boao, Qionghai of south China's Hainan Province on April 22, 2007. The BFA annual conference 2007 closed here Sunday. (Xinhua Photo)

    BOAO, Hainan Province, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) closed Sunday in south China's Hainan Province, after two days of discussions on economic integration, sustainable development and other major issues facing Asia.

    China's top legislator Wu Bangguo attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech, in which he urged Asian nations to make efforts to expand regional integration, protect the environment, encourage technical innovation and build a harmonious continent.

    Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also attended the conference.

    Other prominent speakers included Microsoft Corporation chairman Bill Gates and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

(from R to L): Kim Shin-Bae, president & CEO of SK Telecom, Subramanian Ramadorai, chief executive officer & MD of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Michael Treschow, chairman of Ericsson, Wang Jianzhou, chief executive of China Mobile, Xi Guohua, Vice Minister of Chinese Ministry of Information Industry, Robert Chiu, Managing Directorof Merrill Lynch (Asia Pacific) Ltd, attend the seminar "Convergence & Divergence in Telecommunications, Media and Technology: the Opportunity for Asia", a sideline of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference 2007 in Boao, Qionghai of south China's Hainan Province on April 22, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)

    More than 1,400 of the most influential politicians, business leaders and intellectuals from 36 countries and regions also participated.

    Topics at the conference included Asian integration, energy cooperation, innovations in the banking and telecommunications sectors, corporate social responsibility and the media's role in building a harmonious Asia.

    The BFA was established in 2001 as a platform for high-level interaction between leaders from Asia and around the world, with the aim of promoting the development goals of Asian countries through greater regional economic integration.

    The theme for this year's conference was "Asia Winning in Today's Global Economy - Innovation and Sustainable Development". The conference opened in this island resort of Hainan last Friday.

Participants attend the seminar "Universal Banking: the Next Innovation and Boost to Asia's global Growth", a sideline of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference 2007 in Boao, Qionghai of south China's Hainan Province on April 22, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)