Senior US diplomat to attend Boao Forum

Robert Hormats, US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, will attend the annual Boao Forum for Asia to be held this weekend in China, the State Department said Tuesday.

Before participating in the April 6-8 Boao Forum for Asia, to be held in Boao of Hainan province in southern China, Hormats will first travel to Vancouver of Canada, where he is to address the Pacific Energy Summit and to meet with government and business leaders from Canada and the Asia Pacific region, the Department said in a statement.

The U.S. diplomat then will arrive in Boao on Friday to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, an event which will attract government and private sector participants from China and the region.

After that, Hormats will travel to Beijing from April 8 to 9 for holding bilateral consultations with Chinese officials and to deliver the keynote address at the U.S.-China Internet Industry Forum.

On the final leg of his tour, Hormats will visit Tokyo of Japan from April 10 to 11, where he will engage Japanese government officials and private sector representatives on a wide range of economic, energy and environment issues, the statement said.

This year's Boao Forum for Asia, one of Asia's biggest annual economic meetings, will be held under the theme of "Asia Seeking Development for All: Restructuring, Responsibility and Cooperation ". More than 10 state and government leaders, as well as a number of business leaders from Asia and other regions are expected to attend the three-day forum.