Mr. Long Yongtu is secretary general of the Boao Forum for Asia and has served in this position since his election by the board of directors on January 21, 2003.

Mr. Long received his B.A. degree in British and American Literature from Guizhou University in 1965 and did his post-graduate study in economics at the London School of Economics from 1973 to 1974. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) in 1965 and served as a diplomat in the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations in New York from 1978 to 1980. From 1980 to 1986, he worked in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), first in the New York headquarters and then in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Mr. Long was appointed assistant minister of MOFTEC in April 1994. In February 1997, he was appointed vice minister and the chief representative for trade negotiations of the Ministry. As the chief negotiator for China's resumption of GATT and its accession to the World Trade Organization, Mr. Long dedicated over 10 years to bringing China into the global trading system.

Apart from his official duties, Mr. Long is the dean of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University and a visiting professor to many renowned Chinese academic Institutions, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University, Nankai University, Zhejiang University and Wuhan University. He's also a board member of Shantou University.

In July 2006, Mr. Long was awarded an honorary doctorate of science (Economics) by London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Mr. Long also received a special award from the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan in Oct. 2004, for his outstanding contribution to the U.N. Partnership in China and in promoting the values of the United Nations.