The Understanding China Conference 2020 commenced on Friday in Guangzhou, south 
China's Guangdong province, facilitating multi-faceted and in-depth discussions 
to enhance mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world.

Themed "Huge Shake-up, Big Test, Great Cooperation -- China's New Journey 
toward Modernization and Building a Community of a Shared Future for Humanity", 
the three-day event has attracted more than 600 celebrated politicians, 
strategists, scholars, and entrepreneurs, as well as representatives of 
international organizations, according to its organizers.

Participants attend discussions, seminars, and forums both online and offline 
in its three-day parallel sessions, concerning ten topics such as China's new 
development patterns, security, global governance, and economic recovery. This 
exchange of ideas is an important input for the world to work together with 
deeper cognition, consensus and collaboration against the impact of COVID-19 
and anti-globalization.  

It is believed, with good reason, that the event will provide thought-provoking 
interpretations of China's approaches to its political, economic, social, 
cultural and ecological development, depict an exciting prospect in China's new 
journey to fully building a modern socialist country, convey, in a timely and 
effective manner, China's good wishes in its initiative for a community with a 
shared future for mankind, and share China's spirit, wisdom and solutions with 
the rest of the world.

The conference is taking place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought 
big challenges for China and massive changes to the world, Li Junru, vice 
chairman of the China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy, said at 
a press briefing before the conference.

Guests shared their views and comments on achievements of the Chinese people 
during the past 40 years since the launch of the "reform and opening-up" policy.

"China is the only country in the world that has every industrial category 
outlined in the UN industry classification list," said Zheng Bijian, chairman 
of the China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy.

"The Chinese government is decisive in opening its gates wider. This helped 
stabilize its industrial and supply chains and boosted its development through 
high-level opening-up," Zheng said.

China's sustained commitment to openness, mutually beneficial cooperation, 
reform and innovation is clearly seen from its continuous increase in imports 
and exports, growth in utilizing foreign investment, orderly development of its 
overseas investment, further participation in the global division of labor, 
continued liberalization of market access to foreign investment, accelerated 
development of free trade zones, the signing of the RCEP with 14 other 
countries, promulgation of the Foreign Investment Law, and the convening of the 
China International Import Expo. It has rolled out a host of major measures to 
expand the opening-up and meet its solemn commitment that "China's door of 
opening-up will never be closed but will open still wider." This will bring 
more opportunities for market, investment and growth for all countries while 
having its own development materialized.

Speakers at the opening ceremony also shared their views of future development 
and international cooperation.

"The most important question in international relationships is whether we can 
find the basis of future cooperation and prevent a descent into a future of 
'one world, two systems'," said Gordon Brown, former British prime minister, 
adding that the only way out is responsible cooperation.

Launched in 2013, the Understanding China Conference has served as a platform 
for the world to understand China's development.

This year's conference marks the fifth of its kind. It is the second time it 
has taken place in Guangzhou. 

Source: The China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy