On March 18-19, the Ditchley conference themed “Europe and the UK: building a new partnership after Brexit” was held. Mr. ZHANG Lirong, Secretary General of the China Forum under the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, and Mr. GAO Jian, China Forum Expert, spoke at the international event.

In November 2020, Professor DA Wei, Research Fellow at Center for International Security and Strategy in Tsinghua University and China Forum Expert, was invited at the referral of the China Forum as one of the Chinese interviewees of Brook Lapping’s documentary series Trump Takes on the World, which was launched online on BBC in early February.

On February 25 and 26, 2021, the Ditchley Foundation held a webinar themed “Climate judo: how can the impact of the pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis be turned into effective action on climate change?” which spotlighted four issues: finding the political will and popular energy to take climate steps; finding the money to mitigate climate change; learning the lessons from the pandemic on technology and innovation; and advancing China-US climate cooperation.

On January 28 and 29, 2021, the Ditchley Foundation, a leading British think tank, held a closed-door international conference themed “Space: the new space race and its intersection with power, the rules-based order and the economy.”

On December 31, the inauguration ceremonies of the Advanced Institute of Global and Contemporary China Studies and the Shenzhen Institute of Data Economy of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen were held in Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, followed by the Qianhai Forum on Development and the Mandate of the Times.

On December 21 and 22, 2020, the Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership (SIGNAL) held the 5th Annual Conference on Israel’s China Policy themed “The U.S.-China Rivalry and Israel’s Strategic Landscape” in celebration of its 10th anniversary. The conference featured parallel sessions including “Following U.S. Elections: The U.S.-China Rivalry and Implications for Israel,” “China-Israel Innovation Partnership: Looming Clouds or Bright Future?” and “China in the Middle East: What is Actually Happening?” Ambassador Dr. YUE Xiaoyong, China Forum Expert and Director of the Center for World Studies at the National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China, addressed the conference on “Promoting Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Towards a Future for All Humankind.” The event also drew together senior participants from government, business and academia in Europe, the U.S. and the Middle East.

The 11th Asian Conference of the Valdai Club, titled “Russia and Asia After the Pandemic” took place on December 9. ZHOU Bo, Senior Fellow of Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University and China Forum Expert, joined the session themed “The Shock of 2020: What We Lost and What We Gained in International Relations.”

On November 20, 2020, Dr. TANG Xiaoyang participated in a closed-door roundtable on “Security Cooperation in Africa” held virtually by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Dr. Tang is a China Forum Expert of Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University, Resident Scholar at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, and Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University.

On November 6, 2020, China Forum held a closed-door seminar on “The Trend of China-US Relations and the New International situation after the US Presidential Election”. Professor Ding Yifan, a researcher from the World Development Institute of the Development Research Center of the State Council, and a China Forum expert, was invited to share his analysis on US foreign policy and its China policy after the election as well as the impact of the global development of Chinese enterprises and their participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The 8th Annual Conference of the “Athens Democracy Forum” was held in Greece from September 30 to October 2, 2020. The forum was co-sponsored by The New York Times, the United Nations and the city of Athens, and was carried out in a combined online and offline manner. The forum focuses on rethinking the meaning of democracy in times of crisis and putting it into action.

On September 29, 2020, Mr. Gao Jian, a China Forum expert, and Director of the Center for British Studies of Shanghai International Studies University attended the “Resetting the next phase of EU-China relations post-COVID” online roundtable hosted by Friends of Europe, a well- known European think tank.

On August 11, 2020, Vice Foreign Minister of China Le Yucheng, in an exclusive interview with China Forum, stressed “The coming months are crucial for China-U.S. relations. We must maintain our focus and not be swayed by various extreme forces.” With regard to China-U.S. relationship, he warned against the Cold War mentality and urged both countries to focus on communication and cooperation.