More than 850 business people from around the world are arriving in Boao, a town on the island province of Hainan, for the fifth annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), a stage to show business culture and negotiate cooperation.

According to the BFA's secretariat, nearly 75 percent of all the delegates are from business circles, including A.P. Moller-Maersk, Merrill Lynch & Co. and Microsoft (China).

"Although some key topics of the fifth BFA annual conference concentrate on issues concerning China, most of them were proposed by foreign companies," Long Yongtu, secretary-general of the BFA, said on Thursday.

"One of the reasons why Boao Forum for Asia is a success is that it has been supported by worldwide think tanks from all sectors," Long said.

China's economy has gained increasing attention from international companies, which are eager to increase their market shares in the huge market.

Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company, a Sino-Japanese joint venture headquartered in South China's Guangdong Province, and the sole vehicle sponsor for the BFA event this year, provides more than 110 sedans and 40 business vans during the sessions.

Stephen Roach, the chief economist of Morgan Stanley, will be a prominent figure when he makes the keynote speech at a special session on China's Rebalancing Challenge.

The topics at various sessions will cover the competence of Asian enterprises, trends in the international energy market, China's automobile industry and the reform and opening of China's banking system.

Besides sessions and several breakfast meetings, the conference will also organize a golf tournament.

"I was thinking about how to make the forum more valuable to China," said Long Yongtu. "However, as the forum grows popular in the world and more and more international businessmen are flocking to the event, we will turn it into a get-together for Asian and world entrepreneurs."

Source: Xinhua