The 18th Annual Conference of Valdai International Debate Club was held in Sochi, Russia from October 18th to 21st, local time. Zhou Bo, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and Security Studies in Tsinghua University and a special expert at the China Forum, attended the meeting online and at the first meeting, "Is the epidemic a new world war or a prelude to it?" Give a speech. Zhou Bo said that the world is undergoing a great change that has not happened in a hundred years, and no change in the 21st century is more important than the rise of China. Faced with the competition initiated by the United States, today's China is in a more advantageous position in shaping the environment and avoiding war.

What does the escort work in the Gulf of Aden mean for China's naval construction? In the face of increasingly fierce maritime conflicts, what role does our escort work play? Han Hua, Member of China Forum Executive Committee and CGTN commentator, talked with Senior Colonel Zhou Bo (retired), senior fellow of Center for International Security and Strategy Tsinghua University, China Forum expert, and former director of the Center for Security Cooperation in the Office for International Military Cooperation, Ministry of National Defense. Zhou Bo reviewed the 13-year escort course of the Chinese navy from his personal experience.

The Taliban’s return to power has fundamentally changed the political environment of Afghanistan, both internally and externally. The internal leading forces inside Afghanistan have turned to be the Taliban instead of the political forces represented by the former Afghanistan government, and the external forces with the greatest political responsibility began to shift from the United States and Europe to the neighboring countries, including China and Russia.

ALARM BELLS are ringing about the state of democracy. Freedom House proclaims the “global decline in democracy has accelerated” and that even in America it has “declined significantly”. Much of the weakening is happening in countries that are aligned with America, according to research by the V-Dem Institute in Sweden. Larry Diamond, a political sociologist, argues that the “democratic recession” has reached a “crisis”, intensified by the pandemic. There are many diagnoses. Francis Fukuyama, a political scientist, believes the American government is captured by elites and the public is divided by cultural identities. And then there are those who always reach for the easy answer, blaming China and Russia.

What best represents China's military strength? The answer: its navy.

The joint pledge of China and the United States at the COP26 conference in Glasgow to cut emissions is like an oasis in a desert, considering their badly strained ties. But it shouldn’t be a surprise. In facing a common threat looming large over their own survival, major powers know when they need to act together.

Video-Speech at The Panel Discussion on “The Future of Afghanistan and Its Impact on Regional Security” by Dr. Yue Xiaoyong, Sp. Envoy for Afghanistan, MFA of China, and a China Forum Expert

Keynote Speech by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Qingdao Forum of China-EU Entrepreneurs Summit 2021 (Qingdao, China, November 18th, 2021)

Following the 2021 Taihe Civilizations Forum, the Taihe International Communications Center hosted an online discussion on October 8 that captures the candid and profound reflections of senior officials whose actions have shaped the course of ties between China and the United States. Dr. Thomas Fingar, Shorenstein APARC Fellow in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, former Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and former Assistant Secretary of State, and Senior Colonel Zhou Bo (ret.), Senior Fellow at Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, China Forum Expert, and former Director of Center for Security Cooperation of the Office for International Military Cooperation of Ministry of National Defense, were invited to join this dialogue.

Renowned Chinese sailor Zhai Mo and two crew members embarked on a four-month voyage beginning at the end of June this year, attempting to circumnavigate the Arctic for the first time in human history. However, Canada stopped their sailboat in the Arctic Ocean near Lancaster Sound, a part of the Northwest Passage.

On September 16th, China formally submitted its application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), which aroused strong repercussions from world public opinion. Why did China make this decision? What kind of signal does this move send? Can China successfully join CPTPP? What impact will China's accession have on its own country and its member States? Zhou Mi, China Forum Expert and deputy director of the Institute of Americas and Oceania, China Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce, talked with Han Hua, executive committee of China Forum and CGTN commentator, on the above issues.

On October 18th, the 18th Annual Meeting of the Russian Valdai International Debate Club officially opened. About 140 participants attended the opening ceremony, including 65 officials and scholars from 45 countries. Zhou Bo was invited to give a speech at the first meeting of the annual meeting with the theme "Substitute for a World War or a Prelude to It?". This is the full text of his speech.