Chinese Premier Li Qiang is scheduled to present a keynote speech at the 2023 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference in Hainan today. Photo: Kristalina Georgieva/Twitter

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is scheduled to present a keynote speech at the 2023 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference in Hainan today.

The conference will host seminars on international cooperation for crises and peacekeeping. Topics including disaster management, ‘win-win’ interoperability, and the advancement of peace will be presented offline to a cohort of academics, business and political delegates, and the media. Malaysia, Singapore, and Spain are set to make diplomatic visits to the Chinese capital after the conference following formal invitations from Li. China only recently released its 12-point plan regarding Beijing’s stance on Ukraine peace talks, humanitarian crisis, and unilateral sanctions on target nations.

Beijing will likely use the international stage of this week’s BFA conference, and their keynote speech, to accelerate diplomatic relations with guest nations. Li will likely refer to the 12-point plan without mention of regional issues such as the invasion of Ukraine or South China Sea incursions. However, recent bilateral talks between Xi and Putin regarding the Russia’s invasion efforts and their developing Sino-Russia relationship may hurt Beijing’s diplomatic progression at this event given they share a joint bulwark against a NATO presence in Eastern Europe.