BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- China will host the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiongan) from Oct. 23 to 25 in Xiongan New Area, north China's Hebei Province, according to the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).
WHY DOES CHINA HOST THIS FORUM?
The inaugural meeting takes place as this year marks the first anniversary of the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), which was put forward by China at last year's SCO Summit in China's coastal city of Tianjin.
Hosted by the CPIFA, the forum is themed "Rebuilding Confidence and Cooperation: Reforming and Improving Global Governance in a Transforming World."
The forum aims to bring together personages across sectors to develop ideas for reforming and improving global governance, and explore specific pathways and solutions to turn conceptual consensus into concrete actions, CPIFA president Wu Ken said at a press conference on Friday.
A year since its launch, the GGI has received support from nearly 160 countries and international organizations.
WHAT ARE KEY TOPICS AT THE FORUM?
The main activities of the forum include the opening ceremony, the plenary session, 22 panel discussions/roundtables under five parallel sessions, and multiple side events.
The parallel sessions will focus on the issues of greatest concern to the international community in the field of global governance. The discussions will cover topics such as upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, building consensus on accelerating development, deepening reform of the economic and financial systems, advancing governance in new frontiers including artificial intelligence, cyberspace and outer space, and promoting mutual learning among civilizations.
The forum will bring together leading figures in strategic, political, academic, business, media, and youth sectors from around the world, particularly those in areas such as the United Nations, climate change, artificial intelligence, and multilateral trade. So far, some 180 invitees from 90-plus countries, and around 180 Chinese delegates have confirmed their attendance.
WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT XIONGAN?
Xiongan New Area, often dubbed a "city of the future," was established in 2017, located about 100 km away from Beijing. Its creation is regarded as "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come and a significant national event."
It aims to relieve Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the nation's capital, while also advancing the coordinated development of Beijing and neighboring Hebei Province and Tianjin Municipality. The development of Xiongan is now in full swing toward high-quality development.
"By holding the forum in Xiongan New Area, we also hope for the world to learn about Xiongan, and Xiongan to reach out to the world, further contributing to global governance with Chinese governance," Wu said.
During the forum, delegates will have the opportunity to visit a number of select projects and places in Xiongan to know more about its cultural splendor, sci-tech innovation, ecological conservation and business development. ■
