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Jiang poem opens Asia Forum
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Alfred Zhang
THE Asia Forum was officially inaugurated in Boao, Qionghai City, in Hainan Province on Tuesday.
To celebrate the inauguration of the Asia Forum and the fact that Boao has been chosen as its permanent location, President Jiang Zemin presented a poem to the inauguration ceremony. The poem, translated into English, reads as follows:
Before the Spring River a new look unfolds,
On the boundless water fresh evening breeze blows.
A grand gathering of the wise from the four seas,
Brings to Boao greater luster and joys
Speaking both Chinese and English in his speech, the president called for closer ties among Asian nations. " We Asian countries, though with different national conditions, are faced with the common task of seizing opportunities, standing up to challenges and working for steady economic and social development," he said.
As an unofficial, not-for-profit, open and regular international conference organization, the Boao Asia Forum will serve as a platform for high-level dialogue where representatives of different Asian countries can discuss issues concerning regional issues like economic development, population and environment
Boao Asia Forum was initiated in 1998 by former Prime Minister of Australia Robert James Lee Hawke, former President of the Philippines Fidel Ramos, and former Prime Minister of Japan Hosokawa Morihiro.
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