Established in 2021, the Student Think Tank for Europe-Asia Relations (STEAR) is the world’s first think tank for young people across Asia and Europe. It aims to connect the two continents, and to strengthen multilateral cooperation and international prosperity. On November 6 and 7, STEAR held its first annual conference, bringing together students, politicians, diplomats and business leaders from around the world to share their insights on international relations.

Mr. ZHANG Lirong, Secretary General of the China Forum, was invited to deliver a keynote speech on November 7. In his remarks, Zhang highlighted peace, development and cooperation as the dominant themes of our time, denouncing cold war thinking as well as attempts to cause decoupling or confrontation and to gang up on other countries. China has always taken an active role in advocating for open economy, free trade, economic globalization and multilateralism, he stressed.

Zhang believes that Asia and Europe should deepen their cultural and economic ties as they both bear important responsibility of safeguarding peaceful development and economic growth in the world. He also introduced China’s climate vision and efforts, noting the strong potential for climate cooperation across the two continents.

During the Q&A session, Zhang said that although China is expected to become the largest economy in a decade, it will not try to replace the United States or seek global hegemony. China is not a systemic rival to the EU; instead, both sides should strive toward a win-win relationship of mutual respect, he suggested. China has and will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and a provider of public goods.

Among the keynote speakers on November 6 were Chikahisa Sumi, Director of Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF; Bert Hofman, Director, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore; and Igor Driesmans, Head of EU Mission to ASEAN.