Interview: Building consensus, win-win cooperation only way to better future, says Ban Ki-moon

SEOUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Only by building consensus and win-win cooperation can we effectively meet various challenges and create a better future for mankind, Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), has said.

Taking the ongoing BFA Annual Conference 2024 as an example, Ban, also former secretary-general of the United Nations, told Xinhua in a recent written interview that 23 years ago, in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis, Asian people aspired to effectively address common challenges in the future.

Therefore, the necessity came to establish a kind of "forum for Asia" that could bring Asian countries together, build consensus, explore solutions, and ultimately achieve Asian economic integration, he said.

Since its foundation in 2001, the BFA has put forward many valuable proposals for building Asian consensus, promoting cooperation among all parties, enhancing economic globalization and building a community with a shared future for mankind, Ban said.

The BFA has played an important role in strengthening exchanges and cooperation among Asian countries and beyond, ultimately promoting Asian economic integration, he said, noting that Asian countries have also demonstrated solidarity in the face of crisis and exhibited a cooperative spirit.

Asia is now developing as one of the most dynamic, most vigorous regions with huge potential to be tapped across the world, Ban said. "The region will not only remain the growth locomotive of the world, but promises to be a more integrated economic powerhouse," he said.

As for China's contribution to the world economy, he said in the past year, when the world economy was recovering slowly and protectionism was on the rise, China and other developing countries stayed committed to addressing development issues and promoting international cooperation, injecting impetus into world economic growth and common development.

As the world's second-largest economy, what China does and will do is of global significance, Ban said, adding that a series of major initiatives put forward by China are in line with the general trend and aim to promote win-win cooperation among partners.

"Only by upholding genuine multilateralism can we better respond to the growing number of global challenges and safeguard global security," he said.

Talking about China's "new quality productive forces," Ban said China is switching its economy from high-speed growth to high-quality growth, and it is encouraging "new quality productive forces" to boost a more innovation-driven, balanced, inclusive, green and open development, which depends more on scientific and technological progress.

Noting that we are living in a world of great changes, he said new technologies such as AI, big data, quantum computing, new materials, renewables and life sciences are now an indispensable part of our life and economy, which create a technological revolution that will fundamentally change the future.

"The zero-sum game must not be our option," Ban said, adding there is no alternative to cooperation as the world becomes increasingly interdependent and interconnected.

Only through win-win cooperation and concerted efforts can we effectively cope with the challenges that accompany the new revolutionary technologies and make better use of them to benefit all humankind, he said.