On May 20-21, 2021, a closed-door conference titled ‘China Today and Tomorrow’ was held by the China Forum under the Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University, in cooperation with the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and the Ditchley Foundation. The event, which was an online/offline gathering of more than 100 participants, engaged different perspectives from politics, academia, media and business.

The conference included six plenary sessions and eight panel discussions on ‘China Today and Tomorrow,’ ‘China: The Evolution of the State, Society and the Chinese Communist Party,’ ‘China’s Economy, Technology and Role in the Global Economy,’ and ‘China’s Role in the Region and World.’

The meeting heard Chinese voices about China’s economic and social achievements, its future ahead, and how it perceives international relations and the world order. China has adopted a specifically tailored path for its growth, but will not export it or its values to other countries, Chinese participants said. The country is now seeking more balanced, sustainable and high-quality development, and will open wider to the rest of the world. It calls for improved international cooperation and does not seek spheres of influence, nor does it seek to overthrow the existing international order.

It was agreed at the meeting that China and the West could deepen their cooperation on global economic recovery, pandemic response and climate change, and that there should be more Track II dialogues to promote greater understanding. In addition, some foreign experts commended how China has integrated its private sector’s strong ability to innovate into the government’s visionary strategy, but also called for more efforts by China to clarify its intentions in order to shed misperceptions.