BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- This year's annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will focus on the open economy, multilateral cooperation and innovation, BFA Secretary General Li Baodong said Wednesday.

The conference, scheduled from March 26 to 29 in Boao, a coastal town in China's southern island province of Hainan, will be themed "Shared Future, Concerted Action, Common Development," Li told a news conference.

It will feature about 50 official sessions which are categorized into five modules including open world economy and innovation-driven development, he said.

The conference will provide an open and inclusive dialogue platform for participants and send a clear message to building consensus regarding global governance, Li said.

"Globalization and free trade are inevitable trends of economic development," Li said. "Multilateralism, dialogue and cooperation are the shared aspirations of most countries, while openness and innovation are the best choice to sustain the advancement of world economy and globalization."