Sponsored by the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China and the

Shanghai Municipal Government, the World Forum on China Studies is a Shanghai-based academic event jointly organized by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipality, which is a high-level, all-round and inclusive academic forum. The Forum aims to provide an avenue for dialogue and communication among the China studies circles from home and abroad, to showcase the latest research achievements and trends of China studies, to give impetus to idea innovation, to promote joint prosperity of various academic schools, to advance mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world, and to create a global academic community for China Studies.

The Shanghai-based biennial Forum has been successfully held for seven consecutive times since 2004. In addressing themes like “China in Multi-Perspectives,” “China and the World: Harmony & Peace,” “Common Challenges, Common Efforts: Working Together for a Better World” and “Living Together, Growing Together: China and the World Integrate,” the first four Forums highlighted the Chinese culture and traditional spirit, integrated Chinese cultural philosophy closely with China’s modernization process, and blazed a new path of “Letting China Studies return to China.” Since the 5th Forum held in 2013, more emphasis has been placed on various facets of contemporary China, with themes ranging from “China’s Modernization: Road and Prospect,” “China’s Reform: Opportunities for the World” to “China in a New Era,” The Forum sheds light on the historical and current situation as well as future trends of China studies, and probes into major academic issues such as the global significance of China’s development in today’s world. In 2015, the Forum began to leave footprints abroad by successively holding the US Symposium (2015, New York/Atlanta, the United States), the East Asian Symposium (2016, Seoul, South Korea), the European Symposium (2017, Berlin, Germany) and the Latin American Symposium (2018, Buenos Aires, Argentina), with themes ranging from “China’s Reform: Opportunities and Challenges,” “Prospects of China’s Future Development,” “China and Globalization: New Era, New Challenges” to “The Belt and Road Initiative and Sino-Latin America Cooperation,” which received enthusiastic responses from relevant countries.

By the end of 2018, a total of 2,296 Chinese and foreign experts had attended the Forum, nearly half of whom were overseas guests from more than 90 countries and regions. In addition, diplomatic organizations from over 50 countries had attended the Forum, while more than 100 well known domestic and foreign media had provided news coverage for the Forum. The Forum has built a strong reputation among academic circles at home and abroad. Important academic views and findings presented at the Forum have been widely quoted by scholars from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, India, Egypt and other countries. Over the past 15 years, the World Forum on China Studies has grown into a national platform for the promotion of China studies as well as exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and other civilizations.