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 December 3-4, a virtualconference themed “World Order: what can and should it mean today?” was held by the Ditchley Foundation, where H.E. DAI Bingguo, Special Guest of China Forum and former State Councilor, delivered a speech at the opening plenary session. More than 80 former dignitaries, senior diplomats, experts and scholars, entrepreneurs and media commentators from 17 countries and regions including Dr. Kissinger attended the webinar.

On December 2, 2020, H.E. Dr. YUE Xiaoyong attended the TRT World Forum 2020 under the theme “Shifting Dynamics: The International Order in a Post-Pandemic World.” He made a written presentation titled “Upholding the Trend of Peace and Development, Forging Multilateralism, and Promoting Solidarity and Cooperation”, and participated online in the Expert Roundtable on “Great Power Competition in the Balkans.” H.E. Dr. Yue is a China Forum Expert of Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University and former Ambassador of China to Qatar, Jordan and Ireland.

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 12, 2020, TANG Xiaoyang, China Forum expert, Resident Scholar of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy and Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University, attended the “Towards Harmonized Approaches for Financing Green Development” online close-door roundtable discussion held by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The discussion was chaired by Dr. Ian Anthony, Programme Director of SIPRI.

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.

On November 4, 2020, Professor Di Dongsheng, Vice Dean of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, and a China Forum expert, participated in the 2020 “Dialogue of Continents” online conference. The session “A New Geopolitical Order?" which Professor Di took part in was also attended by Henry Farrell, Professor of International Relations at Johns Hopkins University, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, International Advisor at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and former Prime Minister of Georgia, and Jonathan Hackenbroich, fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. The participants discussed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on globalization, the post-pandemic world order, the role of central governments, and major challenges for the future, among other topics.

On October 16, 2020, Ms. Tang Bei, Associate Researcher from Shanghai International Studies University, and a China Forum expert, attended a roundtable discussion on “Living with the COVID-19” organized by a leading British think tank, the Ditchley Foundation, The discussion touched upon national anti-epidemic initiatives, the global development trend of COVID-19 and its geopolitical and economic impact.

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.

The China Forum of Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University (CISS) invited domestic and foreign experts to attend small-scaled interior seminar on September 26th, with the in-depth discussion of Chinese international image construction and international communication. Special experts and executive members of China Forum, academic committee members of CISS and foreign experts from United States, Europe and Australia participated in the seminar.

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.