"Mingde Strategic Dialogue on 'Chinese Modernization and the Future of the World Order' (2024) - International Leading Academics Visit China

 

 Wang Wen and the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China (RDCY) have organized what promises to be a quite interesting set of events, the  "Mingde Strategic Dialogue on 'Chinese Modernization and the Future of the World Order' (2024) - International Leading Academics Visit China. There is much to learn and discuss.

The Press Release for the event (A delegation of US and European strategic academics is coming to China) follows below in the original Chinese and in a crude English translation, along with an explanatory essay, 当我们谈“美国战略界来中国”，我们谈些什么？[When we talk about "American strategic community coming to China", what do we talk about?].

 

 

人大重阳网综合媒体报道：战略学术界的国际交流近期将有大动作。

2024年8月底，中国人民大学将主办“‘中国式现代化与世界未来’明德战略对话（2024）——国际战略学术界走进中国（以下简称：明德战略对话）”活动。11位来自美国、欧洲的战略学术界代表将来到中国多日，先后深入探访上海、义乌、温州、北京等城市及乡村，与中国政府、企业、战略学术界代表深度对话。据悉，此次代表团是党的二十届三中全会后首个来华的国际战略学术界代表团。

世界处在新的动荡变革期，反全球化、保护主义、霸权主义思潮肆虐，以研究全球各国战略走向为主要目标的学术界交流变得十分必要。2024年3月27日，国家主席习近平在北京人民大会堂集体会见美国工商界和战略学术界代表时曾表示：“中美关系是世界上最重要的双边关系之一。中美两国是合作还是对抗，事关两国人民福祉和人类前途命运。……中美关系回不到过去，但能够有一个更好的未来。” 习近平主席向美国工商界和战略学术界代表交托的殷切期盼，更说明举办一场面对面、去政治偏见的中外战略学术界对话十分重要。

近年来，中国努力增进中外战略互信。2023年底，中国开始实施对部分外国公民的72/144小时过境免签政策，政策一经出台，不仅入境旅游人数大增，亲身赴华的外国游客还对中国印象大为改观，相关旅游视频在Youtube等国际平台斩获高播放量和大量好评，向世界传达了友善、现代、国际化的中国形象。

中外双方加强学术交流、增进相互理解、搭建友谊桥梁、为推动中国与西方关系，尤其是中美关系的止跌企稳发挥了重要作用。其中，中国人民大学作为中国特色哲学社会科学研究的前沿阵地，曾数次举办中美人文交流论坛、全球治理论坛等中外高端学术对话活动。而此次明德战略对话，邀请到包括欧洲亚洲事务研究所（EIAS）总裁顾爱乐、美国乔治梅森大学政策与政府学院院长马克·罗泽尔、享誉世界的英国学者马丁·雅克等11位欧美重量级战略学术界代表，他们的研究领域聚焦全球战略、中国发展、美国政治等。

“这次活动不止是‘对话’，还有实地探访。”承办此次活动的机构中国人民大学区域国别研究院（重阳金融研究院）院长王文透露，在为期6天的行程中，代表团成员将共同探访上海、义乌、温州、北京四地，既行走于中国最繁华的大都会，也走进基层的县市乡村，共同感受新时代真实的中国经济脉动。在上海，代表团成员将参观浦东新区改革开放成果展，调研中国国际进口博览局，同上海官员、学者展开经济金融战略座谈会；在义乌，走访义乌国际商贸城，调研全球最大吸管生产企业——义乌市双童日用品有限公司；在温州，参加第三届 WZBC 温商论坛，走访全球首个眼健康产业、科创综合体——中国眼谷；在北京，围绕“中国式现代化与世界：新机遇与新挑战”“全面深化改革开放：新形势与新任务”主题在中国人民大学进行战略对话，还会与人民大学师生展开座谈，全面探讨中国与世界发展所面临的未来机遇与挑战，凝聚共识，并寻求解决之道。

“我非常关注二十届三中全会，它是关于经济的总纲。我非常关注中国的宏观经济。但我想实地去企业、去城市看看，看看到底发生了什么，以获得更具体的看法，这是无可替代的。”代表团成员之一、前英国伦敦经济与商业政策署署长罗思义在谈及此次行程时说道。

“我非常期待这次有趣的旅行，我期待我们双方代表能就当前中外遇到的问题进行非常有趣、生动的接触和讨论，尽管可能会有分歧。”代表团成员之一、美国威尔逊中心全球欧洲与基辛格美中关系研究所研究员克劳斯·拉雷斯说，“我认为，这就是对话的本质和意义。”

❉邀你来互动：11位欧美战略学术界代表齐聚中国，机会难得，你是否有一些问题想向他们请教？留言告诉主办方你想问哪位专家什么问题吧。获赞最多的问题，将有机会获得人大重阳研究成果礼包。

 

 

Renmin University Chongyang Network Comprehensive Media Report: International exchanges in the leading members of the academic community will have significance in the near future. 

At the end of August 2024, Renmin University of China will host the "Mingde Strategic Dialogue on 'Chinese Modernization and the Future of the World' (2024) - International Strategic Academics Visit China (hereinafter referred to as: Mingde Strategic Dialogue)". Eleven leading academics from  the United States and Europe will visit China for several days, and will visit cities and villages such as Shanghai, Yiwu, Wenzhou, and Beijing, where they will participate in in-depth dialogues with representatives of the Chinese government, enterprises, and strategic academics. It is reported that this delegation is the first international strategic academic delegation to come to China after the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

The world is in a new period of turbulence and change, with anti-globalization, protectionism, and hegemonism rampant. Academic exchanges with the main goal of studying the strategic trends of countries around the world have become very necessary. On March 27, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with representatives of the American business community and strategic academic community at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and said: "Sino-US relations are one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. Whether China and the United States cooperate or confront each other is related to the well-being of the people of the two countries and the future and destiny of mankind. ... Sino-US relations cannot go back to the past, but they can have a better future." President Xi Jinping's earnest expectations entrusted to representatives of the American business community and strategic academic community further illustrate the importance of holding a face-to-face, politically biased dialogue between Chinese and foreign strategic academic circles.

In recent years, China has worked hard to enhance strategic mutual trust between China and foreign countries. At the end of 2023, China began to implement a 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy for some foreign citizens. Once the policy was introduced, not only did the number of inbound tourists increase significantly, but foreign tourists who visited China in person also greatly changed their impression of China. Related travel videos have won high views and a lot of praise on international platforms such as Youtube, conveying a friendly, modern and international image of China to the world.

China and foreign countries have strengthened academic exchanges, enhanced mutual understanding, built bridges of friendship, and played an important role in promoting the relationship between China and the West, especially the stabilization of Sino-US relations. Among them, Renmin University of China, as a frontier of Chinese-style philosophy and social science research, has held several high-end academic dialogues between China and foreign countries, such as the Sino-US Humanities Exchange Forum and the Global Governance Forum. This time, the Mingde Strategic Dialogue invited 11 heavyweight strategic academic representatives from Europe and the United States, including Gu Aile, President of the European Institute of Asian Affairs (EIAS), Mark Rozelle, Dean of the School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, and Martin Jacques, a world-renowned British scholar. Their research areas focus on global strategy, China's development, and American politics.

"This event is not just a 'dialogue' but also an on-site visit." Wang Wen, dean of the Institute of Regional and Country Studies at Renmin University of China (Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies), the organization hosting the event, revealed that during the six-day trip, the delegation members will jointly visit Shanghai, Yiwu, Wenzhou and Beijing, walking through China's most prosperous metropolises as well as grassroots counties, cities and villages, to jointly feel the true pulse of China's economy in the new era. In Shanghai, the delegation members will visit the Pudong New Area Reform and Opening-up Achievements Exhibition, investigate the China International Import Expo Bureau, and hold an economic and financial strategy symposium with Shanghai officials and scholars; in Yiwu, they will visit Yiwu International Trade City and investigate the world's largest straw manufacturer, Yiwu Shuangtong Daily Necessities Co., Ltd.; in Wenzhou, they will participate in the third WZBC Wenzhou Business Forum and visit the world's first eye health industry and science and technology innovation complex, China Eye Valley; in Beijing, they will hold a strategic dialogue at Renmin University of China on the themes of "Chinese-style modernization and the world: new opportunities and new challenges" and "comprehensively deepening reform and opening up: new situations and new tasks", and will also hold a symposium with teachers and students of Renmin University to comprehensively discuss the future opportunities and challenges facing China and the world's development, build consensus, and seek solutions.

"I pay close attention to the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which is a general outline of the economy. I pay close attention to China's macroeconomics. But I want to go to enterprises and cities to see what is happening in order to get a more specific view. This is irreplaceable." One of the delegation members, former Director of the London School of Economics and Business Policy, said when talking about this trip.

"I am very much looking forward to this interesting trip. I expect our representatives to have very interesting and lively contacts and discussions on the current problems encountered by China and foreign countries, although there may be differences." Klaus Lares, one of the members of the delegation and a researcher at the Wilson Center's Global Europe and Kissinger Institute for U.S.-China Relations, said, "I think this is the essence and significance of dialogue."

❉The organizers invite you to interact: 11 representatives of European and American strategic academic circles gathered in China. This is a rare opportunity. Do you have any questions you want to ask them? Leave a message to tell the organizer which expert you want to ask what question. The questions with the most likes will have the opportunity to receive the Renmin University Chongyang Research Results Package.

 

 当我们谈“美国战略界来中国”，我们谈些什么？
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/53rcKR-wbgOxrXd6kKXdIQ
 
编者按：2024年8月底，中国人民大学将主办“‘中国式现代化与世界未来’明德战略对话（2024）——国际战略学术界走进中国（以下简称：明德战略对话）”活动。11位来自美国、欧洲的战略学术界代表将来到中国多日，先后深入探访上海、义乌、温州、北京等城市及乡村，与中国政府、企业、战略学术界代表深度对话。8月28日，中国人民大学重阳金融研究院院长王文在国家发改委中宏网、观察者网发表文章《当我们谈“美国战略界来中国”，我们谈些什么？》指出，在中美交流的过程中，我们应该谈如何更好地接触对方、更好地阐述中国、更轻松地与之交往，而不是“安全泛化”似的担心、害怕、警惕、防范。至少在当前这个特殊时代，拥有这份自信、开放的心态非常重要。现发布如下：
近几年，一提到美国时，中国社会舆论多半会有一些异样情绪，或觉得敏感，或莫名警惕，或害怕接触，当然，还有一些人仍存崇拜之情。这些非常态般的多元与复杂情绪，都算是当下中国人对外心理的时代特征。问题在于，我们能否更加常态化看待、更频繁地接触美国及其国民尤其是那些战略界人士？

有一次我调研西南某省刚刚脱贫不久的一个县城，县长与我谈及许多国际形势，尤其热衷于讲述中美紧张形势下县域治理的压力。于是我调侃道，你这里离最近机场近3个小时车程，县城也见不到外国人，更谈不上美国人，为何要把中美紧张形势考虑到日常治理中的重要位置呢？

还有一次我向中西部某地的一家国企老总推荐几位美国战略界人士和前高官的来访调研。这位老总很有兴趣，但很快回应当地保卫、外事、报批程序过于复杂，完全超出了当地接待能力，于是只能悻悻作罢。

这些普遍存在于各个地方的亲历，恰恰反映了二十届三中全会《决定》中要改革的一条重点内容的紧迫性，即第十部分里的第41条“推动走出去、请进来管理便利化，扩大国际人文交流合作”。

要真正落实这条改革措施，最重要的落脚点在于，须扭转不愿、不敢、不想与外国人尤其是美国人交往的氛围与环境。

不可否认，近几届美国政府对华长期采取遏制政策，对来自美国的一些特殊人士当然应更重视。但另一方面，作为大国，同样也应有充足的自信去接触所有外国人，包括那些内心对华存有误解、偏见甚至不友好的美国人。

革命年代、冷战年代，老一代中国领导人都非常愿意接触来访的外国人士尤其是美国人士。近年来，习近平主席更是多次强调加强民间友好和人文交流对发展中美两国关系的重要意义，与美国各界人士多次真挚互动，推动中美民间友好，提出“中美关系的基础在民间，力量源泉在人民友好”。

2024年3月27日，习近平集体会见美国工商界和战略学术界代表，指出“中美关系史是一部两国人民友好交往的历史，过去靠人民书写，未来更要靠人民创造。中国有句话，从善如登，从恶如崩。希望两国各界人士多来往、多交流，不断积累共识，增进信任，排除各种干扰，深化互利合作，为两国人民带来更多实实在在的福祉，为世界注入更多稳定性。”

高层亲力亲为地做美国人的工作，正是给各级政府、各个企事业单位、各个高校研究机构提供了示范。这正是我所在的智库近期承办为期一周“明德战略对话2024”、邀请10多位来自美国、欧洲的战略学术界人士来中国的重要背景。

我们安排这些来自欧洲、美国的战略界人士调研开放最前沿的上海浦东、走访世界商品集散中心义乌、观察民营经济重镇温州，还引导他们看看新农村建设、逛县城夜市、作客企业主家，等等，安排许多批次的年轻人与他们面对面对话，让他们真实地体验新时代的中国，进而尽可能地重塑这些有影响力人士的中国观。

从筹备安排看出，各级政府外事与宣传机构是有外事交往的潜在意愿的，只是希望在制度与氛围上还可以更加松绑。各个企事业单位是有国际交往的充足底气的，有位企业主说，让他们随便看嘛，没什么不能让他看的；还有一位当地机构负责人说，我们这里那么干净、安全、便捷、还有烟火气，美国人会羡慕的……

可见，二十届三中全会中所说的“推动走出去、请进来管理便利化，扩大国际人文交流合作”是很有民间动力与基层活力的。关键在于，在制度设计和机制构建上，要更敢于善于释放这种动力与活力。

事实上，新中国建设之初逐渐打破西方阵营的封锁，源于大胆地与西方交往与沟通。40多年的改革开放，中国国力从弱到强、从国内走向世界，也是源于不断打开国门与世界融合。现在，世界处在新的动荡变革期，西方一些势力试图重新打压、封锁、遏制中国的强国之路，此时，更需要努力打破之、瓦解之，更要靠胆大心细、积极主动的交往与沟通。

2024年上半年，全国各口岸入境外国人1463.5万人次，同比增长152.7%，适用免签政策来华外国人854.2万人次，同比增长190.1%，海外传播中国的频次大涨，再次证明中国对多国实施免签政策以来、对外国主动接触交往的积极效应。

日本著名作家村上春村有一本非常著名的随笔集，书名叫《当我谈跑步时，我谈些什么》。书中用细腻的写作技巧记录了跑步的心理活动并延伸到人生态度，如“痛苦无法避免，磨难可以选择”、“不想跑步，所以更要去跑步”。

把这个书名套用到当下中国智库与美国战略界的交往，或可用改为“我们谈‘美国战略界来中国'，我们谈些什么？”，我希望是其中应有的含义是，“对美国斗合并行的痛苦无法避免，如何减少磨难可以选择”、“不想与遏华的美国交往，所以更要与之交往”。

如果真有这种观念的转型，那么，回答“我们谈‘美国略界来中国'，我们谈些什么？”答案是，我们应该谈如何更好地接触对方、更好地阐述中国、更轻松地与之交往，而不是“安全泛化”似的担心、害怕、警惕、防范。至少在当前这个特殊时代，拥有这份自信、开放心态非常重要。

 

 When we talk about "American strategic community coming to China", what do we talk about?
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/53rcKR-wbgOxrXd6kKXdIQ

Editor's note: At the end of August 2024, Renmin University of China will host the "Mingde Strategic Dialogue (2024) - International Strategic Academic Community Entering China (hereinafter referred to as: Mingde Strategic Dialogue)" event. 11 representatives of strategic academic circles from the United States and Europe will come to China for several days, and will visit cities and villages such as Shanghai, Yiwu, Wenzhou, and Beijing, and have in-depth dialogues with representatives of the Chinese government, enterprises, and strategic academic circles. On August 28, Wang Wen, Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, published an article on the National Development and Reform Commission's Zhonghong Network and Guanchazhe.com, "When we talk about "American strategic community coming to China", what do we talk about?" Pointing out that in the process of Sino-US exchanges, we should talk about how to better contact each other, better explain China, and interact with them more easily, rather than worrying, fearing, vigilant, and guarding like "security generalization". At least in this special era, it is very important to have this confidence and open mind. Now published as follows:
In recent years, when the United States is mentioned, Chinese public opinion will mostly have some strange emotions, or feel sensitive, or inexplicably vigilant, or afraid of contact. Of course, some people still have admiration. These abnormal multiple and complex emotions are all characteristics of the current Chinese people's external psychology. The question is, can we view and contact the United States and its citizens more normally, especially those in the strategic community, more frequently?

Once I investigated a county town in a southwestern province that had just been lifted out of poverty. The county magistrate talked to me about many international situations, and was particularly keen on telling about the pressure of county governance under the tense situation between China and the United States. So I joked that you are nearly 3 hours away from the nearest airport, and you can't see foreigners in the county town, let alone Americans. Why should you consider the tense situation between China and the United States as an important position in daily governance?

Another time, I recommended a visit and research by several American strategic community people and former senior officials to the CEO of a state-owned enterprise in a certain place in the Midwest. The CEO was very interested, but quickly responded that the local security, foreign affairs, and approval procedures were too complicated and completely beyond the local reception capacity, so he had to give up in disappointment.

These experiences, which are common in various places, precisely reflect the urgency of a key content to be reformed in the "Decision" of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, namely, Article 41 in Part 10 "Promote the facilitation of management of going out and inviting in, and expand international cultural exchanges and cooperation."

To truly implement this reform measure, the most important foothold is to reverse the atmosphere and environment of unwillingness, fear, and unwillingness to interact with foreigners, especially Americans.

It is undeniable that the recent US governments have long adopted a containment policy towards China, and of course they should pay more attention to some special people from the United States. But on the other hand, as a major country, it should also have sufficient confidence to contact all foreigners, including those Americans who have misunderstandings, prejudices, or even unfriendly feelings towards China.

In the revolutionary era and the Cold War era, the older generation of Chinese leaders were very willing to contact visiting foreigners, especially Americans. In recent years, President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed the importance of strengthening people-to-people friendship and cultural exchanges to the development of Sino-US relations. He has interacted sincerely with people from all walks of life in the United States many times to promote Sino-US people-to-people friendship and put forward that "the foundation of Sino-US relations lies in the people, and the source of strength lies in people-to-people friendship".

On March 27, 2024, Xi Jinping met with representatives of the American business community and strategic academic community, pointing out that "the history of Sino-US relations is a history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples. The past was written by the people, and the future will be created by the people. There is a saying in China that it is easy to do good and difficult to do evil. I hope that people from all walks of life in the two countries will have more exchanges and exchanges, constantly accumulate consensus, enhance trust, eliminate various interferences, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, bring more tangible benefits to the people of the two countries, and inject more stability into the world."

The high-level people personally doing the work of the Americans have set an example for governments at all levels, enterprises, institutions, and research institutions in universities. This is the important background for the think tank where I work to host the week-long "Mingde Strategic Dialogue 2024" and invite more than 10 strategic academics from the United States and Europe to China.

We arranged for these strategic people from Europe and the United States to investigate Shanghai Pudong, the forefront of opening up, visit Yiwu, the world's commodity distribution center, and observe Wenzhou, a major private economic center. We also guided them to see the construction of new rural areas, visit county night markets, visit business owners, etc. We arranged many batches of young people to have face-to-face dialogues with them, so that they can truly experience China in the new era, and then reshape the views of these influential people on China as much as possible.

From the preparations and arrangements, it can be seen that the foreign affairs and propaganda agencies of governments at all levels have the potential willingness to engage in foreign affairs exchanges, but they just hope that the system and atmosphere can be more relaxed. All enterprises and institutions have sufficient confidence in international exchanges. One business owner said, let them look at it, there is nothing they can't see; another local agency leader said, our place is so clean, safe, convenient, and there is fireworks, Americans will envy...

It can be seen that the "promoting going out, inviting in management facilitation, and expanding international cultural exchanges and cooperation" mentioned in the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee is very popular and grassroots. The key is to be more courageous and good at releasing this motivation and vitality in system design and mechanism construction.

In fact, the gradual breaking of the blockade of the Western camp at the beginning of the construction of New China stemmed from bold exchanges and communication with the West. After more than 40 years of reform and opening up, China's national strength has grown from weak to strong, from domestic to the world, which is also due to the continuous opening of the country's doors to integrate with the world. Now, the world is in a new period of turbulence and change. Some Western forces are trying to re-suppress, blockade and contain China's path to becoming a strong country. At this time, it is even more necessary to work hard to break it and disintegrate it, and rely on bold, careful, and proactive exchanges and communication.

In the first half of 2024, 14.635 million foreigners entered the country through ports across the country, an increase of 152.7% year-on-year, and 8.542 million foreigners came to China with visa-free policies, an increase of 190.1% year-on-year. The frequency of overseas dissemination of China has increased significantly, which once again proves the positive effect of China's active contact and communication with foreign countries since it implemented a visa-free policy for many countries.

The famous Japanese writer Harumura Murakami has a very famous collection of essays called "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running". The book uses delicate writing skills to record the psychological activities of running and extends it to the attitude towards life, such as "pain is inevitable, suffering is optional", "I don't want to run, so I have to run even more".

Applying this title to the current exchanges between Chinese think tanks and the US strategic community, it may be changed to "We talk about 'US strategic community coming to China', what do we talk about?" I hope the meaning is, "The pain of fighting and cooperating with the United States is inevitable, how to reduce suffering is optional", "I don't want to interact with the United States that contains China, so I have to interact with it even more".

If there is really such a transformation of concepts, then the answer to "We talk about 'US strategic community coming to China', what do we talk about?" is that we should talk about how to better contact each other, better explain China, and interact with them more easily, rather than worrying, fearing, vigilant, and guarding like "security generalization". At least in this special era, it is very important to have this confidence and open mind.