REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla is set to deliver an address to the annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) to be held in China from March 22 to 25.

The Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xie Feng extended the invitation to the Vice President at the latter's office on Thursday.

"I am pleased that Vice President Kalla accepted the invitation to attend the Boao Forum for Asia to be held in the near future," Xie said, following his meeting with the vice president.

This will be Kalla's first visit to China since he was inaugurated as Vice President in October 2014. The visit is expected to enhance bilateral ties between the two nations.

Kalla said his planned attendance at the meeting is aimed at maintaining synergy among Indonesia, China and other countries.

"It is true that he (Xie) has asked me to address the opening of the Boao Forum to discuss how to develop Asia in the future. This forum is interesting and although it will take place in China, it will be chaired by Japan," he said.

BFA is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization with a fixed conference date and a fixed domicile.

Proposed in 1998 by Fidel V. Ramos, former President of the Philippines, Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia, and Morihiro Hosokawa, former Prime Minister of Japan, BFA was formally inaugurated on February 27, 2001.

Boao, in Hainan Province, China serves as the permanent site of the BFA's headquarters. Since 2002, BFA has been holding its annual conference at Boao.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika