Asia must avoid chaos and conflict or the future of the region will be lost, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said today at the annual Boao Forum for Asia, which is being held on the Chinese island of Hainan.

– In this uncertain world, the security offered by China is an anchor for world peace and development. This is how it was in the past and will remain so in the future, Li noted, adding that China will continue with reforms and opening up.

Li indicated that despite weak economic data in the first two months of 2023, China is on the road to recovery following the end of the zero-rate Covid policy, which was lifted last December following rare mass protests in the country.

- China will continue to seek progress while maintaining stability, consolidate and expand the momentum of economic recovery, and promote the overall improvement of China's economic performance, Li said.

China's economy grew by just three percent in 2022, the weakest performance in decades, with the exception of 2020, when the coronavirus disrupted business, travel and trade.

The Forum is attended by dozens of business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, HSBC CEO Noel Quinn and Blackstone founder Stephen Schwartzman.

Among the political leaders attending the event are Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose country has held the EU presidency since July 1, as well as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.