CityU Macau scholars attend 7th East Lake Forum on Global Governance, discussing geopolitics and global governance
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee and the Hubei Provincial People’s Government, the 7th East Lake Forum on Global Governance: International Symposium on Geopolitics and Global Governance, jointly organised by the Institute of State Governance of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) and the National Governance Collaborative Innovation Center of Hubei Province, was held at the East Lake International Conference Center in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
The Forum was attended by experts and scholars both online and in person. Professor Ip Kuai Peng, Pro-Rector and Dean of the Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries of the City University of Macau, and Associate Professor Francisco B. S. José Leandro, Associate Dean of the Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries, attended the Forum as representatives of the Macao SAR.
The Forum gathered official representatives, representatives of international organisations, and experts and scholars from higher education institutions and research institutes in over ten countries and regions. Participants came from the International Department of the Central Committee of CPC, the One Belt-One Road Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University, the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), Yale University, the FGV Direito Rio, the Centre for New Inclusive Asia (CNIA) of Malaysia, and so on. They had in-depth discussions on major global issues such as global governance and national responsibility, green development, and a community with a shared future for mankind under the new situation.
During the Forum, Professor Ip delivered a keynote speech about the role of the Macao SAR in China’s geostrategy. He pointed out that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and that there have been ups and downs in the global situation. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the guidance of President Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, the state has been pushing ahead with the construction of a more inclusive and open world economy, as well as the realisation of more effective and proactive multilateral regional cooperation for the global governance system under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Professor Ip went into the three major geostrategic roles of the Macao SAR in the new era. First, COVID-19 has accelerated the formation of a new global situation, and the cooperation platforms and mechanisms of emerging markets have also been constantly reinforced. As a strategic stronghold in the state’s foreign service under the Belt and Road Initiative, Macao will become a vital platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries. Second, focusing on changes in the international situation and global public health challenges while ensuring development and security is a staple of the state’s participation in global security governance. The Macao SAR Government has incorporated security and development into the macro policy framework for 2022, aiming to fully implement the constitutional responsibility of “One Country, Two Systems” to uphold sovereignty, maintain national security, and safeguard national interests. In so doing, Macao will promote the practice and all-round application of the Belt and Road Initiative in geopolitics and regional security affairs, and thus contribute to the country. Third, global-regional economic integration is moving towards the green economy. In order to keep up with new trends in global development and align itself to the orientation toward high-quality construction under China’s new development pattern featuring “dual circulation”, the Macao SAR Government has been attempting to form a close partnership with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to establish cross-border connections for regional development. Only in this way can enterprises enter new markets in the green and digital economy, facilitating social and economic transition in the Greater Bay Area through the two-way flow of innovation.
Associate Professor Francisco Leandro gave a lecture on the geopolitics of Portuguese-speaking countries along the Belt and Road routes. He mentioned the multi-faceted nature, security and geopolitical effects of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the role played by the Macao SAR. The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) is gaining increasing attention from the international community. The regional economic communities and regional development plans of Portuguese-speaking countries are in line with the Belt and Road Initiative. The CPLP is committed to addressing issues related to the geoeconomics of Portuguese-speaking countries, and the collaboration between China and the CPLP is beneficial for both parties.
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