Song Tao said, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread and the world economy suffers an impact. Protectionism, unilateralism, and cold war thinking have risen in some countries. Under the new situation, the idea of building a community of shared future for mankind, which is put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, has charted the course for world progress and development. All countries should, adhere to unity and cooperation to jointly safeguard global peace and security; adhere to openness and inclusiveness to achieve common development and prosperity; adhere to seeking common ground while reserving differences to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations; uphold multilateralism to promote a fair and reasonable international order; adhere to a shared responsibility to build a new type of major-country relationship.

Song Tao said, stabilizing China-US relations is not only related to the interests of the two peoples, but also to the world peace and development. At present, some American politicians take advantage of the pandemic to stigmatize others, generalize national security, politicize economic and trade cooperation, and draw ideological lines in an attempt to form exclusive groups. This is against the development trend of history and runs counter to the interests of the people of China and the United States and the people of all countries in the world. The Chinese side is committed to promoting China-US relations based on coordination, cooperation, and stability and is willing to work with other countries in the world to maintain the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, and contribute wisdom and strength to promoting world peace and development and to building a community of shared future for mankind.

The experts and scholars spoke highly of China’s major achievements in epidemic prevention and control and its important contributions to maintaining world stability and development, and said that in the face of COVID-19, a global challenge, the world should strengthen cooperation and jointly cope with it. But some countries pursue a short-sighted and ultra-nationalist policy, thus putting the world in danger. The current development and changes in the international situation have demonstrated the great practical significance of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative. Openness, cooperation and connectivity are the tools we need to counter isolation and xenophobia. The world is at a critical crossroad. Countries should put the common interests of mankind first, transcend ideological differences and institutional and cultural differences, and focus on controlling the epidemic and restoring development. All countries should advocate multilateralism, pool global efforts, and work together to promote the world to develop along the right direction.

Guo Yezhou, Vice-minister of the IDCPC and Co-Chairman of the Council of the Silk Road Think Tank Association, presided over the opening ceremony. Liu Wei, President of Renmin University of China, announced the Joint Initiative on Strengthening International Cooperation and Promoting the Building of A Community with A Shared Future for Mankind jointly released by nearly 200 think tanks around the world.

The Silk Road Think Tank Association is composed of national think tanks and institutions from countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. The forum was co-organized by China Center for Contemporary World Studies of the IDCPC and Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China.

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