BOAO, Hainan, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The economic growth of Asia will reach 4.8 percent in 2022, an expert said at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on Wednesday.

       The forecast was made by Zhang Yuyan, head of the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, on behalf of a research team for a new report.

       The pace of economic integration in Asia has sustained despite COVID-19 inflicting heavy losses, according to the report titled "Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress" released by the BFA.

       Many factors will still affect Asia's economic growth in 2022, such as the pandemic, debt problems, and the supply of primary products, the report said.