Boao, Hainan—Asia’s biggest economic minds just wrapped the Boao Forum for Asia 2025 with a clear message: collaboration beats isolation. Held under the theme 'Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future,' the forum became a global stage for leaders to push innovation and regional teamwork as antidotes to rising trade tensions.
'When big economies forget to cooperate, everyone loses,' warned Carl Fey, a strategy professor from Norway, subtly nodding to recent U.S. tariff hikes. Meanwhile, UK’s former investment minister Lord Gerry Grimstone called trade wars 'a lose-lose game nobody wins.'
China’s role? A key driver of Asia’s next chapter. Deloitte China’s Jiang Ying praised the country’s manufacturing reforms and visa-free policies for global businesses, dubbed 'the ultimate welcome mat' by Roland Berger’s Denis Depoux.
The takeaway? Asia is doubling down on openness—and betting big that shared innovation will fuel tomorrow’s growth.
Held under the theme 'Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future,' the forum became a global stage for leaders to push innovation and regional teamwork as antidotes to rising trade tensions.
'When big economies forget to cooperate, everyone loses,' warned Carl Fey, a strategy professor from Norway, subtly nodding to recent U.S. tariff hikes. Meanwhile, UK’s former investment minister Lord Gerry Grimstone called trade wars 'a lose-lose game nobody wins.' 
