CCG book launch & New Year reception
On January 23, CCG welcomed central government ministry officials, ambassadors and diplomats, heads of international organizations, business representatives, and international media journalists.
The online album of the two events can be viewed here.
"China and Globalization" book launch
On January 23, 2024, the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), in collaboration with the 世界知识出版社 World Affairs Press and Springer-Nature, hosted an Ambassadors’ Roundtable and a book release at CCG's Beijing headquarters.
The English book released at this event, The Future of China’s Development and Globalization: Views from Ambassadors to China is a collaboration between CCG and Springer Nature.
It is the seventh book in the "China and Globalization" series and is a companion piece to the fourth book - China and the World in a Changing Context: Perspectives from Ambassadors to China.
Together, these two books feature insights from 55 ambassadors to China, sharing their wisdom on topics such as bilateral relations, economics and trade, cultural exchanges, multilateral cooperation, and global governance, and views on the role China will play on the world stage.
China and the World in a Changing Context: Perspectives from Ambassadors to China features essays from 27 ambassadors from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, providing valuable insights and recommendations on key development issues. The book was released in March 2022 as an open-access publication and the ebook has been downloaded 163,000 times from Springer Nature’s website. It is also available for free on Kindle through Amazon.com.
The Chinese edition China and the World in a Changing Context: Perspectives from Ambassadors to China, the other book released at the event, was published and distributed by World Affairs Press, which is affiliated with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is the first Chinese-language open-access book written by ambassadors to China published by an international publisher and distributed globally along with its English edition.
The event welcomed authors/ambassadors to China, editors, publishing industry professionals, diplomats, senior scholars, and members of the business community, who attended the launch and spoke on the impact of the latest book in the series, including more than 20 ambassadors and diplomats.
CCG founder and President Henry Huiyao Wang hosted the release and roundtable discussion, while CCG co-founder and Secretary-General Mabel Miao Lu introduced CCG’s latest publication.
In his opening remarks, 崔春 CUI Chun, Chairman of World Affairs Press, said the significance of this publication in light of international political disputes and military conflicts, the complex global development and security situation, and profound changes in international relations. Ambassadors are able to assess overall trends, help point us in the right direction promote cooperation, and freely discuss how we can enhance mutual understanding, ultimately seeking common ground despite our differences, which is of great significance. This book demonstrates the high regard that countries around the world have for China as well as the world's expectations that China plays a more certain and positive role in the current highly uncertain international situation. CUI noted that this new book has the potential to further promote the engagement between China and the world and share opportunities that have come out of China's development.
William Achauer, Editorial Director for Business, Economics, Politics, and Law at Springer Nature, said that CCG has always recognized and emphasized the unique role of ambassadors and successfully created a platform where the global future can be discussed, making a significant contribution to promoting international understanding and cooperation. The Future of China’s Development and Globalization provides an outline of the history and current state of relations between various countries and China, ambassadors' views on major issues, ways in which countries can cooperate with China in responding to global challenges, and the development prospects of countries in a world where China's role is increasingly significant.
CCG Secretary-General and co-editor of the "China and Globalization" series of books, Mabel Miao Lu, said that in this rapidly changing world, the insights of the ambassadors to China on global affairs and China's development are invaluable and highly illuminating. CCG has compiled these insights to better share their perspectives and provide solutions to the questions of China's globalization pathway and other pressing global issues. She added that CCG was honored to welcome the contributions of ambassadors, diplomats, publishers, and think tank experts in this book and the previous publication, hoping sharing their vision for bilateral relations will deepen cooperation and tap into the future potential.
During the book release, CCG President and editor of the "China and Globalization" series, Henry Huiyao Wang, provided a detailed introduction to the books. The voices of the ambassadors are crucial, as they represent not only their respective countries but also serve as bridges to promote communication and understanding between China and the world. The publication of these two books enables readers to gain direct insights and experiences from the ambassadors. These books focus on bilateral relations as well as global challenges and future cooperation, reflecting the international community's views and expectations of China's development. Henry Huiyao Wang stated that CCG is committed to continuing to promote such dialogues, drawing on voices and wisdom from around the world to foster the process of globalization and strengthen China's role in it, jointly building a more resilient and forward-looking era of interconnected globalization.
In the subsequent discussion session, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee, Ambassador of the European Union to China Jorge Toledo Albiñana, Ambassador of the African Union to China Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman, Deputy Head of Mission for the Embassy of Belgium Bart Vodderie, Ambassador of Estonia to China Hannes Hanso, Ambassador of Iceland to China Thórir Ibsen, Deputy Head of Mission for the Embassy of Indonesia Parulian Silalahi, Ambassador of Jordan to China Hussam Alhusseini, Trade & Economic Counsellor at the Embassy of New Zealand Aramiro Tai Rākena, Ambassador of Norway to China Signe Brudeset, Deputy Head of Mission for the Embassy of Pakistan Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Ambassador of Portugal to China Paulo Nascimiento, Ambassador of Slovenia to China Alenka Suhadolnik, Ambassador of Spain to China Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo, Ambassador of Sweden to China Per Augustsson, and Ambassador of Switzerland to China Jürg Burri spoke.
Leana Li, Regional Director for Books for China at Springer Nature said that Springer Nature has always been dedicated to the publication of academic literature. This latest book The Future of China’s Development and Globalization: Views from Ambassadors to China is different from previous scientific publications and has special significance. Being published under an open-access model allows readers to access the book for free and thus reach a wider audience. She looks forward to sharing it with readers worldwide.
New Year Reception
Following the Book Release and Ambassadors’ Roundtable, CCG hosted a New Year reception at its Beijing headquarters, gathering over a hundred guests. The reception saw 20 representatives from China’s central government ministries and other departments, 36 ambassadors and diplomats to China, 18 representatives from international organizations and business associations, 17 representatives from Chinese and foreign enterprises, four representatives from international media, as well as members of CCG’s Advisory Board and other distinguished guests, to celebrate the New Year together.
Leaders from relevant departments attending this event include:
- WU Hongbo, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on European Affairs
- WU Hailong, President, China Public Diplomacy Association; former Chinese Ambassador to the European Union
- CHEN Huaifan, Deputy Chief of the Western European Bureau, International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC)
- CAO Lei, Deputy Director-General, Department of European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- ZHENG Liqiao, Deputy Director-General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- LU Shiwei, Consul General, Department of Policy Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- QIU Yong, Deputy Director-General, Department of American and Oceanic Affairs, Ministry of Commerce
- SHEN Xin, Member of Leadership and Director-General, Department of American Affairs, Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC)
- FAN Daqi, Vice President, Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS)
- HE Ping, Deputy Director-General, Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee
- GAO Yuanyuan, President, MOFCOM China Association for International Economic Cooperation (CAFIEC)
- JIN Xu, President, China International Trade Association
- ZHANG Ning, President, International Competency Development Committee, Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy
- SUN Juan, Deputy Director, Department of European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- SHI Jing, Deputy Director, German-Austrian Division of the Western European Bureau, International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC)
- LIN Zhengqing, Staff Member, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- LIN Quan, Member, Department of Policy Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- ZHAO Debi, Staff Member of the External Promotion Department, Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee
- GUO Jiayue, Staff Member, Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS)
Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives attending the event:
- Hannes Hanso, Ambassador of Estonia to China
- Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados to China
- Paulette Bethel, Ambassador of The Bahamas to China
- Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Pakistan
- Bart Vodderie, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Belgium
- Johan van Hove, Public Diplomacy Counsellor, Embassy of Belgium
- Thórir Ibsen, Ambassador of Iceland to China
- Stephan Grabherr, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Simond de Galbert, First Counsellor, Embassy of France
- Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman, Ambassador of the African Union to China
- Jennifer Lynne May, Ambassador of Canada to China
- Siddharth Chatterjee, Resident Coordinator in China, United Nations
- Jean Louis Robinson, Ambassador of Madagascar to China
- Huda Ali Shareef, Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of Maldives
- John Busuttil, Ambassador of Malta to China
- Ryan Fedasiuk, China Coordination Office, U.S. State Department
- Martin Cho, Political Section, Embassy of the United States
- Antonio da Costa Gaspar, Education Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Mozambique
- Mahdi Basadien, Charge d'affairs ad interim of the South African Embassy in China
- Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, Ambassador of Nepal to China
- Signe Brudeset, Ambassador of Norway to China
- Gaute H. Grov, Second Secretary, Embassy of Norway
- Frida Christina Haapaniemi, Adviser, Embassy of Norway
- Jorge Toledo Albiñana, Ambassador of the European Union to China
- Paulo Nascimiento, Ambassador of Portugal to China
- Per Augustsson, Ambassador of Sweden to China
- Jürg Burri, Ambassador of Switzerland to China
- Alenka Suhadolnik, Ambassador of Slovenia to China
- Miraji Ukuti Ussi, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Tanzania
- Pavlo Riabikin, Ambassador of Ukraine to China
- Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo, Ambassador of Spain to China
- Dean Lee, Counsellor, Embassy of Singapore
- Alvin Wong, First Secretary, Embassy of Singapore
- Grahame Morton, Ambassador of New Zealand to China
- Aramiro Tai Rākena, Trade & Economic Counsellor, Embassy of New Zealand
- Peter Kiraly, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Hungary
- Irit Ben Abba, Ambassador of Israel to China
- Michele Cavallo, First Counsellor, Embassy of Italy
- Parulian Silalahi, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Indonesia
- Yudho Priambudi Asruchin, First Secretary, Embassy of Indonesia
- Pradeep Kumar Rawat, Ambassador of India to China
- Hussam Alhusseini, Ambassador of Jordan to China
Publishing industry representatives attending this event include
- CUI Chun, Chairman of World Affairs Press
- William Achauer, Editorial Director for Business, Economics, Politics, and Law at Springer Nature
- WANG Qin, Editor-in-Chief, World Affairs Press
- Leana Li, Regional Director for Books for China at Springer Nature
Representatives from international organizations and business associations attending the event:
- Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative in China, UNDP
- Justine Coulson, Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in China
- Amakobe Sande, UNICEF Representative to China
- Smriti Aryal, Head of China Office, UN Women
- Balthasar Staehelin, Personal Envoy of the President and Head of the Regional Delegation for East Asia, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Tamas Hajba, Senior Advisor and Director of the Beijing Office, OECD
- Jens Eskelund, President, EU Chamber of Commerce in China
- Alex Whitebrook, COO, AustCham China
- Loh Weekeng, Chairman, Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China (MayCham China)
- ONODERA Osamu, Director-General for Beijing Office and Chief Representative for North East Asia, The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
- Johann Fuhrmann, Head of the Office, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in Beijing
- RAN Ze, Senior Manager, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
- HUANG Dizhong, Secretary General, China-United States Exchange Foundation
- Jane Zhang, Country Representative in China, The Asia Foundation
- GU Qing, Acting Chief Representative, Ford Foundation Beijing Office
- Janis Mandic, Program Manager, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Beijing
- CAI Tingjian, Project Manager, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Beijing
Representatives from Chinese and foreign enterprises attending the event include:
- Yong Gao, Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability, Bayer China
- Gianni Di Giovanni, Chairman, ENI CHINA BV
- Jerry Guo, Managing Director, KKR Investment Group
- HAN Xing, Director, Beijing Kwai Technology Co., Ltd
- Marvin Hung, Vice Chairman, Hung’s Group; Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hop Hing Group Holdings Limited
- HUANG Bin, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Market Access Department, AstraZeneca China
- LENG Yan, Executive Vice President, Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., LTD
- PENG Ningke, Board Member and Senior Vice President, SNAM China
- Conan Quan, Vice President, WeWork Greater China
- SUN Jingze, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Standard Chartered Bank (China) Co., Ltd
- TAN Xiaolong, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Qualcomm
- TANG Haoxuan, Chairman, FUETA International
- Miranda Wang, Managing Director, ETS China
- Tom Tao Hsu, Vice President, VIA-HTC Group
- YIN Ning, Director of the International Department, JYC Law Firm
- Johnny Zhang, Partner, Deloitte Global Chinese Services Group
- ZHU Tong, Director of Government Affairs, BMW
International media representatives attending this event include Keith Bradsher, Beijing Bureau Chief, New York Times, Jonathan Cheng, China Bureau Chief, Wall Street Journal, Yoko Kubota, Deputy China Bureau Chief, Wall Street Journal, and Joseph Leahy, Beijing Bureau Chief, Financial Times.
The online album of the two events can be viewed here.