On August 27th, the 11th Public Management Forum of Tsinghua University with the theme of “The Belt and Road Initiative and Open Development” was successfully held in Wujiaqu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This forum is co-hosted by the School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM), Tsinghua University, and Wujiaqu Municipality. Over 300 scholars, public administration practitioners and journalists across the country participated in the forum. They had an in-depth discussion on the Belt and Road Initiative and shared their individual practices of open development. The forum was broadcast live via We-Chat and thousands’ of people was attracted on-line.
Guo Yong, Standing Committee member of Tsinghua University Council and Senior Associate Dean of SPPM, hosted the opening ceremony. Lu Xiaofeng, Party Standing Committee member of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and Professor Han Jingyang, former Vice Chairperson of the University Council of Tsinghua delivered welcome speeches at the opening ceremony. Mr. Lu recalled the long-term cooperation between Tsinghua University and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and called for more efforts in promoting the theoretical and practical innovation under the theme of the Belt and Road Initiative. Professor Han, on behalf of Tsinghua University, expressed her congratulations for the convening of the forum and sincerely hoped that participants could make contributions to strengthen academic research, theoretical innovation and publicity on the Belt and Road Initiative.
The keynote speech session was hosted by Professor Xue Lan, the Dean of SPPM. Professor Hu Angang, Director of Institute for Contemporary China Studies of Tsinghua University, Ma Xinping, Secretary of Party Committee of Wujiaqu and Zhai Dongsheng, Deputy Director of the Development of Western Region Development of NDRC delivered keynote speeches in the forum. Professor Hu reviewed economic and social development since China’s reform and opening-up from the economic geography perspective. He pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative would reshape economic geography globally. Mr. Ma demonstrated the strategic role Wujiaqu city plays in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative. Mr. Zhai introduced the overall planning and implementation stages of Belt and Road Initiative.
After the opening ceremony, heated discussions continued on the theme of local development strategy, regional cooperation and social challenges in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the innovation of public management.
