The 21st Century Council Beijing Conference, co-sponsored by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy (CIIDS) and Berggruen Institute on Governance (BIG), was held in Beijing from 1 to 3 November 2013. President Xi Jinping met with foreign participants and briefed them on China’s development road, reform and opening-up, economic situation and foreign policies. Premier Li Keqiang delivered a speech entitled China in the Changing World at the opening ceremony. State Councilor Yang Jiechi attended the conference and spoke onChina’s Diplomacy at a New Historical Starting Point. Mr. ZhengBijian, Chairman of CIIDS, Ambassador Yang Wenchang, President of CPIFA, Ambassador Lu Shumin, Executive Vice President of CPIFA, and Mr. Nicolas Berggruen, President of BIG, addressed the opening and closing ceremonies respectively.
The Conference was attended by 40 former Heads of State/Government, prominent scholars and business leaders including former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Chile Ricardo Lagos, former Prime Minister of UK Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of Spain Felipe Gonzalez, former Prime Ministers of Australia Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Italy Mario Monti, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, former Speaker of Japanese Diet YoheiKono, former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexey Kudrin, Professor of Stanford University Francis Fukuyama, Professor of London School of Economics and Political Science Martin Jacques, Dean and Professor of Public Policy of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore Kishore Mahbubani, Chairman and CEO of Blackstone Group Stephen Schwarzman, and Founder and Chairman of eBay Inc. Pierre Omidyaro.
Under the theme Understanding China, Chinese and foreign participants had a candid and in-depth discussion on China’s development strategy in the next 10 years, China’s development road and its role in global governance. Chairman of CIIDS ZhengBijian, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission Xu Shaoshi, Director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Economic and Financial Affairs Liu He, Director of the Counsellor’s Office of the State Council Chen Jinyu, Secretary of CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee Qin Guangrong, Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee Xia Baolong, Governor of Guangdong Province Zhu Xiaodan, Vice Mayor of Shanghai and Director of Management Committee of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Ai Baojun, Dean of the School of International Studies of Peking University Wang Jisi and Chairman of Legend Holdings Limited Liu Chuanzhi, attended the conference and spoke on China’s Decision-Making Process on Major Policies, Whether Chinese Economic Boom Can Last, China’s World View and International Responsibility and How to Build All-round Communities of Interests. Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army, was invited to speak on China’s Defence Policy at a dinner.
The 21st Century Council was initiated by American investor Nicolas Berggruen in 2011. Members of the Council include former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder, former Prime Minister of UK Gordon Brown and former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy. The Council convenes annually to present suggestions for governments on ways to improve global governance and aims to promote G20 to play a more active role in global governance.
