The 8th Hongqiao Forum Opens Public Registration

Unveiling Eight Spectacular Highlights Right Here Right Now

The 8th Hongqiao International Economic Forum (HQF) will be held from November 5 to 10, 2025, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). As an international public good dedicated to promoting global openness and improving global economic governance, HQF consistently observes major development trends from an open perspective, fostering global consensus for building an open world economy and a community with shared future for mankind. The guest registration system for the 8th HQF officially opens on September 26. The Hongqiao Forum Secretariat has released the "Eight Highlights", offering a sneak peek at this year's must-see key attractions.

Theme: 

Aligned with the Times, 

Openness Drives Progress.

Global luminaries from politics, business, academia, and media will delve into the theme "Opening-up for New Opportunities, Collaborating for a Shared Future", deeply responding to the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) and continuing to contribute "Hongqiao Wisdom" to the world economy.

Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, amid accelerating changes unseen in a century, profound adjustments in the global governance system, and the reshaping of the global trade order, this year’s Forum theme fully addresses the concerns of all parties and accurately reflects the characteristics of our times. Rooted in today’s realities, the Forum analyzes the dilemmas of governance at critical junctures. Convened towards the end of the year, the HQF reviews the annual world economic landscape, examines the current global economic environment, and analyses the trajectory of global economic governance. Looking ahead, the forum confronts the age-old question: Which path lies before us? In the face of a world fraught with uncertainty, the HQF champions openness, advocates for the practice of true multilateralism, and calls for joint efforts to uphold the governance order, thereby contributing to humanity's shared development and prosperity.

Agenda: 

High-impact, Frontier, 

and Widely Covered. 

Centered on the sections of "Opening-up for Cooperation – Reinvigorating Multilateral Cooperation", "Opening-up for Innovation – Digital Intelligence Empowerment", "Opening-up for Development – Green and Sustainable Development", and "Opening-up for Sharing – A More Open China", the 8th HQF will feature 25 parallel sessions and several closed-door roundtables. These events will explore both the macro-level, top-down design and frontier industry practices.

The Forum builds consensus and brings together the wisdom of all through its integrated sections. The agenda incorporates over a hundred suggestions from government departments, international organizations, HQF partners, universities, media, and CIIE exhibitors and buyers. Followed by meetings held in Europe, South America, and other locations, which saw participation from high-level representatives of over 20 international organizations and more than 80 countries or economies. Focusing on key issues, the forum covers all major global governance issues. Dedicated discussions will tackle current, high-interest global issues such as trade security, industrial and supply chain resilience, and the rise of the Global South. Keeping pace with the times, the forum encompasses a full range of cutting-edge and innovative topics.  Multiple events will delve into areas like artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, the digital economy, and smart manufacturing.  Building on its legacy, the forum addresses key development issues.  HQF continues to focus on key issues such as green and low-carbon development, intellectual property, boosting consumption, youth issues, agricultural trade, finance, and the silver economy.

Guests: 

Renowned Scholars 

and Rising Talents Unite.

This year’s HQF is expected to once again convene over 400 representatives from governments and international organizations, business leaders, and leading scholars. Bringing together voices from home and abroad, across the entire industry chain, from competitors to partners, old friends to new, the forum will feature an even stronger lineup of distinguished guests.

Record High! Joseph Stiglitz, Jeffrey Sachs, Michael Spence, Thomas Sargent, Steven Chu, Michael Levitt, Kishore Mahbubani and nearly ten Nobel Prize laureates and leading scholars will join HQF this year—marking the strongest lineup in the forum’s history.

Reuniting Again! Renowned Chinese experts such as Jiang Xiaojuan, Zhang Yuyan, and Yu Miaojie; senior officials from international organizations including WTO, UNCTAD, UNIDO, ITC, UNICEF, UNFPA, ISO, IEC, and INTERPOL; as well as executives from Global 500 companies like AstraZeneca, BHP, Louis Dreyfus Company, Qualcomm, and Bank of China—our familiar friends will once again gather at Hongqiao to share their insights.

New Encounters! First-time participants include John Ross, recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award; Hamid Rashid, former Director of the UN Global Economic Monitoring Branch; Frederick Ma, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics; Victor Gao, Esq., Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and Chair Professor at Soochow University; and Professor Jin Keyu of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Together, they will explore new opportunities for global economic openness and cooperation.

Outcomes: 

Landmark Releases, 

Upgraded in Scope.

The 8th HQF will continue to stand as a leading platform for unveiling landmark outcomes—including professional reports and standards—offering sustained wisdom for global economic governance.

The flagship report World Openness Report 2025 has been fully upgraded. Closely monitoring new trends, changes, and challenges, it aims to be the “beacon” of global openness, the "barometer" of China's high-level opening-up, and the " hallmark brand" of the HQF. For the first time, a Nobel Laureate in Economics will lead the drafting of a dedicated chapter. Another chapter will be co-authored by a professional team from UNIDO together with Chinese experts. In addition, the starting year of the World Openness Index will be rolled back to 1990, enabling a broader perspective on global openness trends. Government agencies, international organizations, and universities jointly released authoritative research findings. The Standardization Administration of China (SAC) will release foreign-language versions of multiple national standards in the field of artificial intelligence; the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC, MOFCOM) will publish the latest China Pilot Free Trade Zone Development Report; the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies (RUC) will unveil a report on symbiotic paths for China and world trade security development; While UNIDO and other institutions will also release a series of outcomes. 

Networking: 

Sufficient, Seamless Exchanges, 

Interaction without Borders.

The 8th HQF remains committed to providing a premier exchange platform for all parties, facilitating government-business communication and promoting trade and investment cooperation.

Prime Time! The Forum will fully leverage the "goldmine of networking opportunities" brought together by distinguished guests from government, business, academia, and research, continuously refining its high-end pre-Opening Ceremony networking brand event. Attendee information for the opening ceremony will be released in a timely manner to facilitate connections, and mainstream media will be invited for onsite interviews to enhance visibility. Anytime Access! Through the HQF module on the "CIIE" WeChat Mini Program and App, participants can complete forum registration, access information, and interact with guests in a one-stop process, greatly enhancing convenience. Non-stop Exchange! From pre-forum VIP lounge meetings, interactive Q&A sessions during forums, and post-forum small-group discussions, a variety of formats will ensure continuous engagement, broaden networking opportunities and enrich interactions among guests as well as between guests and the audience.

Exhibition & Forum: 

Synergized, Mutually Reinforcing, 

Seamlessly Integrated.

Leveraging the unique advantage of being held alongsidethe CIIE, this year's HQF further promotes the integration and synergy between "exhibition" and "forum", maximizing overall impact.

The forum invites experts for on-site visits and inspections. Upgraded and optimized group exhibition tours for forum guests; Specific parallel sessions will specially invite participating guests for dedicated tours and exchanges in  unique CIIE exhibition areas. The forum facilitates participation and interaction for exhibiting enterprise. The Forum innovatively incorporates suggestions from exhibitors; parallel sessions like "International Cooperation in AI Standards for Empowering Industrial Upgrades" conducted pre-forum surveys via questionnaire to understand exhibitors' expectations, customizing content accordingly, and inviting respondent representatives to participate and interact. Senior executives from exhibiting companies will also be invited to participate, fostering a professional, high-quality, and diverse forum exchange experience. The forum brings together political and business leaders for in-depth exchanges. It will host roundtables for foreign-funded enterprises and continue closed-door meetings on topics such as the development of US-funded enterprises in China and the growth of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and cosmetics. These sessions will facilitate candid communication and pragmatic dialogue between government departments and businesses.

Credibility: 

‌Backed by Authoritative Institutions.

This year's Forum brings together 8 national ministries and commissions and 6 international organizations as joint hosts of parallel sessions, with nearly 20 renowned universities, think tanks, business associations, financial institutions, and professional media serving as organizers, ensuring high-quality preparation.

The forum is steered by authoritative professional institutions. The events are led by the Ministry of Commerce. The National Energy Administration joins as a joint host for the first time. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology co-hosts 4 parallel sessions. The National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, State Administration for Market Regulation, National Medical Products Administration, among others, continue their roles as joint hosts.  The forum embraces a global vision with the deep involvement of international organizations.  Prestigious international organizations such as UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the International Trade Centre, and the World Intellectual Property Organization continue as joint hosts, fully reflecting the event's international caliber.  The forum adopts a cutting-edge perspective and gains strong support from think tanks and media outlets. Nearly 20 institutions, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences National Institute of Global Strategy, the Institutes of Science and Development and Engineering Thermophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies (RUC), the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), China Media Group Mobile, Xinhuanet, The Paper, and Yicai, are fully supporting the Forum as organizers.

Publicity & Promotion: 

Global Reach Through 

a Diverse Media Matrix.

The 8th HQF will collaborate with leading domestic mainstream media, renowned international media outlets, and industry-specific professional media to ensure comprehensive promotion before, during, and after the event.

Pre-Event Rollout: Sneak Peeks of Guest Insights! Starting in late September, the HQF will continuously release updates on confirmed distinguished guests and promotional videos to build anticipation. In-Event Multi-Format Coverage:  Highlights from Parallel Sessions at Your Fingertips! During the event, leading media outlets will be invited to cover  parallel sessions through live streams, feature reports, guest interviews, and more. Selected parallel sessions will also be produced for television broadcast. Post-Event Centralized Releases: Dive In Anytime! Outcome compilations, short videos featuring guest viewpoints from parallel sessions, and other materials will be made available on the Hongqiao Forum section of the CIIE official website for continuous access.

Eager to Register? 

Discover Where, How, and More!

Discover the agenda and distinguished guests of the 8th Hongqiao Forum now! Visit the Hongqiao Forum section via the 'CIIE' Mini Program/App or directly at：

https://www.ciie.org/zbh/cn/IEF/introduction/. 

Register online now!

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