CCIEE Holds the Fifth Global Think Tank Summit

On May 17, 2017, China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) hosted the Fifth Global Think Tank Summit in Beijing, under the theme of Gathering Wisdoms for Promoting Global growth. The summit is aimed at injecting new positive energy into a healthy, inclusive and sustainable global development.

Zeng Peiyan, Former Vice Premier of the State Council of China and Chairman of CCIEE, attended the summit. Chen Yuan, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Adviser of CCIEE, addressed the opening ceremony. Shaukat Aziz, Director of Boao Forum for Asia and Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yukio Hatoyama, Chairman of East Asian Community Institute and Former Prime Minister of Japan, Jiri Paroubek, Former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and Former Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party, John L. Thornton, Co-Chair of the Board at Brookings Institution, USA, Zhan Xiaoning, Director of Investment & Enterprise Division, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Fraser Cameron, Director of the EU-Asia Center, Belgium, delivered their speeches respectively.

Approximately 300 Chinese and foreign experts and directors of think tanks, former politicians and heads of international organizations participated in the summit and offered their wisdoms for promoting global growth, including Brookings Institution, USA, Schiller Institute, Germany, Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University, Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee, France, the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, Center for International Public Policy Studies, Japan, Institute of Policy Studies, Pakistan, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Development Research Center of the State Council, and China Institute of International Studies.

More the 100 scholars and experts conducted in-depth discussions on the topics of the four parallel roundtables, namely, “New Situation of Globalization: New Challenges, New Opportunities, New Countermeasures”, “Global Sustainable Development: Problems and Counter-Measures”, “Docking B&R with Strategies of Relevant Countries”, and “Regional and Global Security: Situation and Prospect”. Many Participants pointed out that globalization is the requirement of growing social productivity, and is a natural outcome of scientific and technological progress. It has powered global growth and should not be blamed for the world’s problems. Think Tanks around the world should put forward effective solutions to global sustainable development and eliminate negative influence so as to benefit the people of all countries.

Furthermore, participants noted that global development is closely linked with the building of the Belt and Road. The principles of the Belt and Road Initiative such as joint consultation and building, shared benefits, openness and inclusiveness, together with the achievement the initiative has made so far will surely inject new vitality and new energy into global development and governance.

The Global Think Tank Summit is an important platform created by CCIEE and used by think tanks worldwide to share their wisdoms and exchange ideas. The first Global Think Tank Summit was held in 2009 and thereafter has become a biennial event. The themes of the previous four summits are, “Global Economic Recovery and Outlook”, “Global Economic Governance: Common Responsibility”, “New Pattern, New Cooperation and New Development”, and “Global Sustainable Development: New Path after 2015”. The summit is aimed at sharing human wisdom and seeking global development, and inviting the best intellectual organizations and the most well known scholars and experts. The summit gives the role of think tanks into full play, strengthen exchanges and cooperation between international think tanks and build pragmatic and win-win partnership so as to make significant contribution to a healthy and sustainable global economic development.