The ancient wisdom that "the great way is never solitary" reminds us that our world is one family. In a time when this spirit of openness is being tested, its value has become ever more apparent. It is in this context that the World Openness Report 2025 will be officially launched at the 8th Hongqiao International Economic Forum. The event, titled "Press Conference on World Openness Report 2025 and International Symposium on Opening-Up," is scheduled for the afternoon of November 5th in Hall 4.2 of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The forum will serve as a vital platform to amplify Hongqiao's call for open cooperation and to advance the building of an open world economy.

President Xi Jinping's four global initiatives—on development, security, civilization and governance—have sent a clear message that “cooperation on opening-up is the sure path for humanity, and mutual benefit the common aspiration of all peoples.” Anchored in this vision, China is sharing its ideas and solutions for wider, more inclusive openness that advances shared prosperity.

At a dedicated session of the China International Import Expo on Tuesday, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Ministry of Commerce of China will release the World Openness Report 2025 and the latest World Openness Index. High-level policymakers, leading scholars and top executives from home and abroad will take the floor to diagnose today’s openness landscape, tackle its bottlenecks and craft a roadmap for win-win globalization.

Forging its path with a commitment to rigor, pragmatism, and innovation, the World Openness Report 2025 elevates its analytical framework to new heights of scientific authority and global relevance. It harnesses the collective expertise of international scholars, including Nobel laureate economist Christopher Pissarides, and organizations like UNIDO. With data as its compass and insight as its beacon, the Report pioneers a historical view by tracing the openness index back to 1990, providing the context needed to navigate uncertainty and pioneer new solutions. Its chapters pose pivotal questions for our time: What forces are shaping the future of global openness? How can sound governance foster greater international integration? In the battle between free trade and protectionism, which will prevail? Is our digital infrastructure ready to support the next wave of AI and trade? How do we balance efficiency, green goals, and security in our industrial, supply, and value chains? Can the Global South harness opening-up policies to accelerate industrialization? And what new meaning will 'win-win' gain as China and global corporations move in tandem?

The key segments of this forum include: Keynote Speeches, Press Conference on World Openness Report 2025, Experts' Views on World Opening-Up, and Business Leader's Views on Opening-Up.

Confirmed guests (Arranged in alphabetical order by the first letter of each name):

·Hamid Rashid, former Officer-in-charge, Global Economic Monitoring Branch (GEMB) of UN, and former editor-in-chief of World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP)

·Kevin Ali, Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s China Center Advisory Board, and CEO of Organon

·Kishore Mahbubani, Former diplomat and Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore (NUS)

·LIAO Fan, Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)

·Pascal Dasseux, Executive Vice President of Havas, and Senior Advisor of Asian Affairs Vivendi

·WANG Xuekun, Director of Research Center for HQF

·ZHAO Zhimin, Secretary General of the CASS

·ZHANG Yuyan, Academician of the CASS, and Dean of the School of International Political Economy, University of CASS

More distinguished guests are being confirmed, so stay tuned!

This parallel session is hosted by Institute of World Economics and Politics, CASS and Research Center for Hongqiao International Economic Forum, co-organized by National  Institute for Global Strategy, CASS, and organized by China Outsourcing Institute.