Beijing, Apr 9 (IANS): Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday was elected chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, which is currently underway in China's Hainan province.

Ban replaced Japan's Yasuo Fukuda at the annual conference, known as the "Asian Davos", reports Efe news.

Former governor of the People's Bank of China Zhou Xiaochuan was appointed vice-chairman.

Both the appointments took place during the second session of the Boao Forum, which began on Sunday and will end on Wednesday, but will not officially begin until Tuesday when Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver the keynote address.

More than 2,000 political and economic leaders, including heads of large multinational firms, attend the forum each year.

This year, the forum is also to be attended by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, International Monetary Fund's Managing Director Christine Lagarde, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen.