The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century at an accelerated pace, and the global economic recovery remains sluggish, while geopolitical risks, protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise. The resilience of industrial and supply chains is facing new challenges. In the face of a complex and changing international landscape, how to coordinate security and development, openness and cooperation, advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and promote steady progress of an open world economy has become a shared mission of the international community.

On the afternoon of November 5, the Parallel Session "Open Trade and Security-based Development" of the Eighth Hongqiao Forum (HQF)—hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, co-hosted by Renmin University of China, and organized by the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China (RDCY) and the School of Global Leadership, Renmin University of China (SGL)—will confront the core issues of global economy and trade, and invite Chinese and foreign experts and scholars to jointly explore ways to build an open, inclusive, balanced, and win-win global economic and trade system.

The Session will earnestly put the Global Governance Initiative into practice, focusing on open trade amid the headwinds facing economic globalization, trade and security-based development under geopolitical turmoil, as well as such key topics as trade policy coordination, industrial-chain resilience, digital-economy security, and global governance cooperation, so as to provide new ideas and new solutions for forging an open, secure, and mutually beneficial international economic and trade architecture.

Several agenda segments will conduct an all-round, multi-angle professional discussion centering on "Open Trade and Security-based Development." Several high-ranking officials, former political leaders, Nobel laureates, and renowned scholars will deliver keynote speeches and engage in strategic dialogue. Two round-table discussions will be devoted respectively to "Open Trade amid the Backlash against Economic Globalization" and "Trade and Security-based Development amid Geopolitical Turmoil." In addition, RDCY will officially release the research report Toward 2050: The Symbiotic Path for Trade Security Development Between China and the World.

Achieving balance between openness and security is essential to fostering an open world economy world economy. The Session "Open Trade and Security-based Development" will strive to build international consensus and contribute "Hongqiao Wisdom" to keep global trade steady and forward-moving in turbulent waters. We look forward to this intellectual feast shared by China and the rest of the world, injecting a stabilizing force into world trade in times of uncertainty.

Confirmed guests (in no particular order):

Zhang Donggang, Secretary of the CPC Committee, Renmin University of China

Liu Zhengkui, Member of the Standing Committee and Deputy secretary-general of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of Jiusan Society

Michelle Umurungi, Chief Investment Officer, RWANDA Development Board

Le Yucheng, Former Vice Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China; Former Vice Minister of the National Radio and Television Administration

Thomas J. Sargent, Awardee of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2011

Jeffrey Sachs, Professor at Columbia University, USA, and Former Senior Advisor to the United Nations

George Laryea-Adjei, Director of UNICEF Programme Group

Frederick Ma Si-Hang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)

John Ross, Former Director of the Department of Economic and Business Policy of London, Honoree of 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award, Senior Fellow of RDCY, UK

Martin Jacques, Former Senior Fellow of Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University, UK

Victor Gao, Renowned Chinese Scholar

Joe Nguyen, Director, Washington State Department of Commerce

Keyu Jin, Economist, Professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Rani Jarkas, Chairman of Cedrus group; Chairman, Board of Directors

Penne Kehl, Group President of Cargill Agriculture and Trading, APAC

Wang Wen, Dean, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China (RDCY); Dean, School of Global Leadership, Renmin University of China

Xu Qinduo, Host of Dialogue on China Global Television Network (CGTN), Current Affairs Commentator