The 21st Symposium of the Chinese Association for Research on Foreign Economic Theories was held at Southwest University in Chongqing on November 9, 2013
On November 9, 2013—coinciding with the successful convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China [1]—the "21st Annual Symposium of the Chinese Association for the Research of Foreign Economic Theories and 'Foreign Economic Theories and Contemporary Chinese Economy'" was held in Chongqing. The event was hosted by the Chinese Association for the Research of Foreign Economic Theories and organized by the School of Economics and Management at Southwest University. More than 150 experts and scholars from universities and scientific research institutes across the nation attended, including Cheng Enfu, Wang Zhenzhong, Wang Zhiwei, Fang Fuqian, Yu Wenlie, and Hu Leming. Cheng Enfu, President of the Association and Director of the Academic Division of Marxist Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), delivered the opening address. Professor Zhang Weiguo, President of Southwest University, and Professor Wang Zhao, Dean of the School of Economics and Management, delivered welcoming remarks, while Professor Fang Fuqian of Renmin University of China and others provided keynote speeches.
Guided by the principle of adhering to Marxism, the conference engaged in heated discussions centered on the theme of foreign economic theories and the contemporary Chinese economy. The symposium introduced the academic thought of Theotônio dos Santos, professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founder of Dependency Theory [2], and recipient of the 3rd World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) Award for Distinguished Communist Economists, as well as the academic thought of Wei Xinghua, Honorary First-Class Professor at Renmin University of China [3].
Participants engaged in vigorous theoretical exchange on topics including "The Relationship between Ideological and Technical Attributes in Economic Research," "Theories of Economic Cycles and Economic Crises," "The Interest-Group Nature of Economics," "The TPP and TTIP Trade Negotiations," and "How to Adhere to People's Livelihood-Oriented Reform and Opening Up." Furthermore, the meeting conducted in-depth discussions on issues such as "The New Construction of Chinese Economics," "The Economic Interpretation of the 'Chinese Dream' [4]," "The Efficiency of State-Owned Enterprises," and "The Transformation and Upgrading of the Open Economy."
(Contributed by Xu Zerong, Professor at the School of Economics, Capital University of Economics and Business)