On October 6, the 4th China's Path Europe Forum 2017 was held in Spain
On October 6, 2017, the 4th Europe Forum on the Chinese Path was held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This session of the forum was hosted by the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Galician Institute of International Analysis and Documentation (IGADI) in Spain, with co-organization by the Shandong Academy of Social Sciences, Casa Asia in Spain, and the Embassy and Consulates of the People's Republic of China in Spain. The theme of this year's forum was "Sino-European Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative" [1]. More than 100 experts and scholars from think tanks and research institutions in both China and Spain attended. Founded in 2014, the "Europe Forum on the Chinese Path" aims to strengthen Sino-European academic exchanges, increase European society’s understanding of China, and promote friendship and cooperation between the two sides.
Deng Chundong, Director and Party Committee Secretary of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Delivers a Keynote Speech
At the opening ceremony, Martiño Noriega, Mayor of Santiago de Compostela, delivered a warm and enthusiastic welcoming address. Deng Chundong, Party Committee Secretary, Director, and Research Fellow of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, delivered a keynote speech on behalf of the organizers. He expressed his hope that participating scholars would engage in profound discussions on issues such as the Chinese path, the "Belt and Road," and a community with a shared future for humanity. He pointed out that the great achievements of the Chinese path have made it a topic of intense global interest. Since the global financial crisis in 2007, many countries around the world have encountered numerous difficult problems and crises in economic and social governance, including several Latin American nations falling into the "middle-income trap" [2]. China, by contrast, has maintained continuous, rapid, and healthy development. As a major country with a population of 1.4 billion, it has maintained social and political stability, unity, and harmony. Behind this phenomenon lie profound institutional reasons. He emphasized that the "Belt and Road" proposed by President Xi Jinping has made a unique and positive contribution to promoting global cooperation and economic development while solving economic challenges. President Xi Jinping’s concept of a community with a shared future for humanity is a Chinese solution [3] for addressing global problems, which has elicited a strong response and sparked heated discussion within the international community.
Huang Yazhong, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Spain, Delivers an Address
Huang Yazhong, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Spain, delivered an important speech, noting that the "Belt and Road" is an initiative launched by President Xi Jinping that has already become one of the most important modes of cooperation between China and the international community, receiving a warm welcome from countries along its route. The "Belt and Road" is not only about economic cooperation; it also provides opportunities for exchange and cooperation between different world civilizations and offers a higher platform for Sino-Spanish cooperation.
Julio Ríos, Honorary Director of the Galician Institute of International Analysis and Documentation, Delivers an Address
Julio Ríos, Honorary Director of the Galician Institute of International Analysis and Documentation, pointed out that the "Belt and Road" plays an important role not only in economic and trade cooperation but also in the comprehensive development of society and the transmission of inclusive concepts. Galicia is a gateway to the Atlantic and can play a significant role in the practical implementation of the "Belt and Road" initiative.
Group Photo of the 2017 Sino-European Forum Spain Session
During the four presentation sessions, nearly 30 scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Shandong Academy of Social Sciences, Zhengzhou University, the National University of Defense Technology, Shandong Jiao Tong University, and the Guilin Municipal Federation of Social Sciences—alongside scholars from the University of Santiago de Compostela, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and the Complutense University of Madrid—delivered specialized speeches and engaged in extensive discussions centered on the Chinese path, the "Belt and Road," Sino-European cooperation, and a community with a shared future for humanity. Néstor Rego, Secretary General of the Galician People's Union (UPG), and Eva Solla, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Galicia (PCG) and Vice President of the Galician Parliament, attended the forum and delivered remarks. Deng Chundong, Party Committee Secretary, Director, and Research Fellow of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, provided the final concluding remarks for the conference.
In addition to the formal forum, Director Deng Chundong also held a symposium with Eva Solla, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Galicia and Vice President of the Galician Parliament.
(Reported by Chen Zhigang, Pan Xihua, and Li Kaixuan; Photography by Wang Zhongbao)