At 8:00 a.m. on June 30th (Beijing time), 2021, the Fifth China-U.S. Young Scholars Forum officially commenced. Wang Dong, Executive Director of iGCU of Peking University, presided over the opening ceremony.
Wang Dong, Executive Director of iGCU of Peking University, presides over the opening ceremony
In his opening speech, Hu Xijin, Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times, expressed his belief that exchanges between Chinese and American scholars will be extremely valuable against the grim background of the COVID-19 pandemic and deteriorating China-U.S. relations. "I sincerely hope that China and the United States will have the wisdom to manage their disputes and present mankind with a great power relationship competing in a civilized way in the 21st century. I hope that this Forum can help both countries to make informed choices." Hu Xijin said.
Hu Xijin, Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times, delivers an opening speech
Jia Qingguo, Director of the iGCU of Peking University, Member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the CPPCC, and Professor of the School of International Studies of Peking University, stressed that as important stakeholders in international relations, China and the United States should be committed to seeking common ground while reserving their differences and seeking peace and mutual development in healthy competition.
Jia Qingguo, Director of iGCU, delivers an opening speech
Liu Yawei, Director of the China Program of the Carter Center, recalled three historic events attended by former US President Jimmy Carter in China, affirmed President Carter's outstanding contributions to the development of friendly China-U.S. relations and encouraged the young scholars present to explore means of China-U.S. cooperation.
Liu Yawei, Director of the China Program of the Carter Center, delivers an opening speech
Former political leaders and prominent scholars from China and the United States who have long studied China-U.S. relations were invited to deliver keynote speeches at the Forum. At the opening ceremony, keynote speeches on the theme of the current state and future of China-U.S. relations were delivered by leaders and scholars including Yu Hongjun, Senior Advisor of the iGCU of Peking University and Former Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Jisi, President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies of Peking University, and Boya Chair Professor, Susan Thornton, Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, Acting Assistant Secretary of State and Senior Fellow of the Paul Tsai China Center of Yale University, and Ezra Vogel, Former Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies of Harvard University and Professor of Social Sciences at Harvard University.
Yu Hongjun noted that China-U.S. relations have become bilateral relations with extensive and profound influence in the current international relations system. Coordinated, cooperative and stable China-U.S. relations should be established on the basis of economic and trade cooperation, people-to-people exchange and security dialogue, rather than economic and trade relations only.
Yu Hongjun, Former Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, gives a keynote speech
Susan Thornton drew on her personal experience and individual thinking to analyze the differences between Chinese and American national conditions, and the potential difficulties of mutual recognition and understanding. She promoted the idea of China-U.S. symbiosis and coevolution, and encouraged the young scholars to think about how to build more inclusive, equitable and flexible China-U.S. relations.
Susan Thornton, Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, gives a keynote speech
Wang Jisi mentioned the importance of cross-cultural understanding and communication in analyzing the complex global context, and shared his thoughts and opinions on the relationship between the theory of international relations and its influence on policies, inspiring the young scholars to deepen their personal academic research in specific policy practices and realistic contexts.
Wang Jisi, President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies of Peking University, gives a keynote speech
Ezra Vogel said that many major global issues such as global climate change, international trade and controlling weapons of mass destruction require close cooperation among peoples and governments all over the world, especially cooperation between China and the United States. Although it will be a challenge to maintain good relations for decades to come, the two peoples should remain aware of the necessity of their relations and never stop trying.
Ezra Vogel, Former Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies of Harvard University, gives a keynote speech
Four meetings were held under the topics "Understanding the Present by Reviewing the Past", "Mutual Effects", "Cognition, Voice and Youth" and "Finding New Points of Mutual Benefit". The scholars held in-depth discussions on the history, new developments, interest coordination and opportunities of China-US relations. The meetings were hosted by Zha Daojiong, Academic Committee Member of the IGCU and Professor of the School of International Studies of Peking University, Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, Zhang Xiaoming, Academic Committee Member of the IGCU of Peking University and Professor of the School of International Studies, and Wang Yong, Academic Committee Member of the IGCU and Director of the American Studies Center of Peking University. Those serving as commentators included Jacques Delisle, Director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China of the University of Pennsylvania, Xie Tao, Dean of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Tao Wenzhao, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of American Studies of CASS, Joseph Fewsmith, Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Pardee School of Global Studies of Boston University, and Jonathan Pollack, Senior Research Fellow of the John L. Thornton China Center and Center for East Asia Policy of the Brookings Institution.
Tao Wenzhao, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of American Studies of CASS, comments on the papers
Zhang Xiaoming, Academic Member of the iGCU of Peking University and Professor of the School of International Studies, Peking University, comments on the papers and presides over Subforum III: Cognition, Voice and Youth
Wang Yong, Academic Member of the iGCU of Peking University and Director of the American Studies Center of Peking University, comments on the papers and presides over Subforum IV: Finding New Points of Mutual Benefit
Zha Daojiong, Academic Member of the iGCU of Peking University and Professor of the School of International Studies of Peking University, comments on the papers and presides over Subforum I: Understanding the Present by Reviewing the Past
Xie Tao, Dean of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy of Beijing Foreign Studies University, comments on the papers
After four days of heated discussions, the Fifth US-China Young Scholars Forum successfully concluded on July 3rd. Wang Dong, Executive Director of the iGCU of Peking University, Liu Yawei, Director of the China Program of the Carter Center, and Xie Rongbin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times, made concluding remarks respectively. Qi Haotian, Secretary-General of the iGCU of Peking University, presided over the closing ceremony. The organizers thanked the attending scholars. The outstanding thinking and insight of the young scholars, as well as their heated discussions with senior scholars on China-U.S. relations, generated a wealth of ideological achievements. The organizers expressed their hopes that the Forum will promote mutual understanding between Chinese and American scholars, and continue to build a platform on which young scholars can give full play to people-to-people exchange in the development of China-U.S. relations.
Xie Rongbin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times, makes the closing remarks
Closing Ceremony
1. About the U.S.-China Young Scholars Forum
The U.S.-China Young Scholars Forum is an academic exchange held by the Global Times, Carter Center and iGCU. Five sessions of the Forum have been held so far. It aims to provide a platform for communication and mutual understanding among young Chinese and American scholars. Renowned Chinese and foreign scholars in China-U.S. relations are invited to the U.S.-China Young Scholars Forum every year to comment on the academic achievements of the young scholars attending the Forum and exchange views on hot issues with them. Held in Xi'an in September 2014, the first U.S.-China Young Scholars Forum was attended and addressed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
2. About the iGCU of Peking University
Approved by the Ministry of Education, the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding (iGCU, formerly known as the Institute for China-U.S. People-to-People Exchange) of Peking University is a cutting-edge think tank which integrates academic research, policy advising and leadership training. The iGCU is the only comprehensive think tank established by the Ministry of Education at Peking University. It serves the "Ten Mechanisms" of people-to-people exchange, leads the high ground of research on domestic people-to-people exchange and coordinates and promotes global cooperation and understanding.
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