Summary of the 3rd Global Governance Frontier Forum and Symposium on Global and Regional Governance in the Context of World Change
On November 4, 2023, the 3rd Global Governance Frontier Forum and the Academic Seminar on "Global and Regional Governance in the Context of World Change" was successfully held in Qingdao, hosted by the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University and jointly organized by the Center for Global Governance and International Organizations of Shandong University, the Institute of Environmental Politics of Shandong University, and the Institute of Public Security of Shandong University. Nearly 30 experts and scholars from the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (National Academy of Administration), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Fudan University, Nankai University, Shandong University, Jilin University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China University of Political Science and Law, Foreign Affairs University, Shanghai Wai Chinese University, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing Language and Culture University, Qingdao University, National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation and other universities and scientific research institutions, as well as "Chinese Social Sciences", "Foreign Affairs Review", "World Knowledge", "International Outlook", "International Observation", The main person in charge of journals such as "Exploration and Controversy" attended the meeting and made speeches.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Liu Changming, Dean of the School of Northeast Asia and Deputy Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University, and delivered speeches at the opening ceremony by Xing Zhanjun, Assistant to the President of Shandong University and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Qingdao Campus, Ma Ben, Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University, and Qin Yaqing, Director of the Center for Global Governance and International Organizations of Shandong University.
In his speech, Xing Zhanjun, on behalf of Shandong University, expressed his sincere thanks and warm welcome to all experts and scholars, and introduced the basic situation and development achievements of Shandong University Qingdao Campus. He pointed out that in the context of the current era of great changes unseen in a century, the international community is facing many major problems and severe challenges, and the solution of these problems requires the international community to work together to deal with them. The conference focused on "global and regional governance in the context of world changes", which is of great theoretical and practical significance for in-depth study of the current opportunities and challenges faced by global governance and solving the common problems faced by mankind. It is hoped that this conference will further promote academic exchanges and cooperation, and make new contributions to the study of global governance in the mainland.
In his speech, Ma Ben, on behalf of the School of Political Science and Management, welcomed the experts, and introduced the experts from six aspects: the historical evolution of the School of Political Science and Public Administration, talent training, faculty, scientific research platform level, education and scientific research achievements, and international cooperation and exchanges. He said that the instability and uncertainty of the world today are more prominent, traditional and non-traditional security issues are intertwined, and how to develop the world, how to promote international cooperation, and how to deal with world problems have become important topics to be discussed. Therefore, in this context, the global and regional governance discussed at the conference has important research value and academic significance.
In her speech, Qin Yaqing expressed her gratitude to the leaders of the school and the college, as well as the experts and scholars who participated in the conference. He pointed out that in the current sense of the return of power politics, the fierce competition between major powers, and the intensification of strategic competition, global governance is more important than ever. Global governance involves the destiny of mankind, so in the context of changes in the world, it is necessary to re-examine the problems faced by global and regional governance, discover new opportunities and challenges, and think about China's countermeasures.
The workshop was divided into four topics: opportunities and challenges for global governance; the significance and development prospects of global and regional governance; China's Plan for Global Governance Reform and Construction; The History, Present and Future of Global Governance Research.
The first topic was chaired by Professor Zhang Jingquan, Vice Dean of the School of Northeast Asian Studies of Shandong University, Professor Wu Zhicheng, Vice President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (National Academy of Administration), Professor Liu Xuelian, Director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Geopolitical Economy of Jilin University, Professor Liu Zhenye, Deputy Director of the Institute of Globalization and Global Issues of China University of Political Science and Law, Professor Wei Ling, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of International Relations of the University of International Business and Economics, Professor Wang Cungang of the Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Yang Hui, lecturer of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (National Academy of Administration), made speeches respectively.
Professor Wu Zhicheng's speech was entitled "Breaking the Cold War Mentality in the Era of Great Changes in a Century". From a historical perspective, he believes that the main reason for the current worsening global governance deficit is the resurgence of the Cold War mentality and the logic of zero-sum games. He first reviewed the specific manifestations of the Cold War mentality in history and the state of either/or confrontation between countries during the Cold War. Second, he sorted out China's practice in the context of the transformation of the power structure in the east and the west. The Chinese government actively practices the concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance, adheres to the path of peaceful development, puts forward the Global Security Initiative, practices true multilateralism, and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Professor Liu Xuelian gave a speech on the topic of "Global Governance from the Perspective of Geopolitical Return". By reversing neoliberal theories and reviewing changes in geopolitical traditions, she argues that the return of geopolitics has not subverted the reality of interdependence, and that interdependence has changed quantitatively rather than qualitatively. In the context of the return of geopolitics, global governance is still needed, but it is necessary to strengthen the role of international organizations and international systems, strengthen normative governance and value guidance, and cope with the impact of geopolitics on global governance.
Professor Liu Zhenye's speech was entitled "New Cognition of Global Governance in the Post-Liberal Era". He pointed out that we have entered a post-liberal era in which a pluralistic governance paradigm dominates global governance. The emerging global governance order is gradually developing from the existing order, but the difference between the normative cognition and rule-making of the old and new order has caused global governance to be dysfunctional, making global governance sink to regional governance and even national governance. The impasse that global governance norms cannot be implemented calls for a new type of global governance theory and practice.
Professor Wei Ling's speech was entitled "Major Power Cooperation: The Dilemma and Way Out of Global Security Governance". She pointed out that the two major difficulties of major power cooperation at present are that major powers are experiencing a crisis of legitimacy, and the supply of public goods cannot meet the needs of global governance; and the emergence of strong competition at the rule-making level, making it difficult for major countries to reach a consensus. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the scope of powers, strengthen dialogue and consultation, balance the principle of sovereignty, and promote cooperation in non-traditional security fields.
Professor Wang Cungang's speech was entitled "The Development of Digital Technology, the Change of Production Mode and the New Changes in the Global Governance Environment". He believes that the productivity of the digital age has taken a qualitative leap, triggering profound changes in the relations of production. With the digitalization of the mode of production, the political and economic structures at the superstructure level have been transformed, which has given birth to new characteristics and trends in global governance. The adjustment and reform of the global governance system is essentially a process of finding an international superstructure that is compatible with the new mode of production in order to build a global order conducive to world peace and development. Therefore, planning and promoting the construction of a new global governance system has become a major issue related to the future and destiny of mankind.
The topic of Yang Hui's speech was "The Rise of the Global South and the New Trend of Global Governance". She focused on the rise of the "Global South" and discussed the impact of the "Global South" on global governance from four aspects: governance subjects, governance agendas, governance values, and governance mechanisms. Under the new situation of global governance, China has played an important role in leading the consensus of the countries of the South.
The second topic was chaired by Professor Li Huiming of the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University, Professor Jia Lieying, Dean of the School of International Relations of Beijing Language and Culture University, Yuan Zhengqing, Researcher of the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Gao Xiang, Director of the International Policy Research Department of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, Professor Yao Lu, Deputy Director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Geopolitical Economy of Jilin University, Professor Ma Suchuan of the School of Marxism of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Associate Professor Wang Min, deputy dean of the School of Marxism of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, made speeches respectively.
Professor Jia Lieying's speech was entitled "Some Thoughts on How to Strengthen the Global Governance Capacity of the United Nations in the Face of Uncertainty in International Relations". He took the UN vote on the draft on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a starting point, pointing out that the inconsistency of major powers is an important factor in the paralysis of international organizations. Therefore, global governance needs to attach great importance to the reform of the Security Council, strengthen the cooperation of functional international organizations, and support the functions of non-governmental organizations, so as to better cope with uncertainties and jointly create a more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
Researcher Yuan Zhengqing's speech was entitled "From Transatlantic Debate to Transpacific Dialogue". He pointed out that with the convergence and convergence of mainstream Western international relations theories, the emergence of a "relational turn" and a "global turn", the transatlantic debate is coming to an end, and the trans-Pacific dialogue is unfolding. Yuan Zhengqing took Columbus's discovery of the "New World" and China's Silk Road as cases of the exploration of the external world between the East and the West, and compared the differences between the two models from the three levels of "starting point-way-result". The Trans-Pacific Dialogue will bring about new changes in international relations.
Gao Xiang's speech was entitled "Global Inventory and the Future Direction of Global Climate Governance". At present, there is a far gap between the expected ideal and the reality in the field of global climate governance. As an important mechanism for climate governance, the global stocktake cannot assess the reasons for the existence of gaps and solve the problem of insufficient implementation tools. As a major country in climate governance, China should contribute its wisdom and solutions.
Professor Yao Lu's speech was entitled "Generative AI and Its Governance Transformation from the Perspective of Structural Power". At present, generative AI is on the rise and is changing the logic of the state power game in a fundamental way, causing an impact on structural power. Therefore, whether it can effectively solve the problems of misinformation, bias and discrimination, alignment problems, abuse risks, and intellectual property rights has become a governance problem for generative AI.
Professor Ma Suchuan's speech was entitled "Organizational Resilience: The Operational Process and Response Mechanism of the Global Security Cognitive System". By using the resilience theory of histology, she observes the dynamic operation process and response mechanism of the global security cognitive system in which actors, actors, functional agents and their onlookers participate in the process of global governance, emphasizing the construction path of the global security cognitive system, and forming a "broken, realistic, and innovative" Chinese plan.
Associate Professor Wang Min gave a speech entitled "The Impact of Changes in Coopetition and Cooperation Relationships on China's Participation in Global Governance". She first clarified the characteristics of the current global governance pattern, and then analyzed the transformation of global governance from the perspective of major power relations from five aspects: governance concept, governance mechanism, governance subject, governance value orientation and governance realization mode, and proposed that global governance and regional governance must and must carry out an overall interaction.
The third topic was chaired by Professor Zhu Guichang, Vice Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University, Professor Ding Jinguang of the School of Politics and Public Administration of Qingdao University, Professor Li Qiang, Dean of the School of International Relations of Tianjin University of Foreign Chinese, Professor Zhang Jingquan, Vice Dean of the School of Northeast Asia of Shandong University, Professor Xing Liju of the Institute of International Studies of Fudan University, Professor Li Huiming of the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University, and Associate Professor Li Xiaoyan of the School of Politics and Public Administration of China University of Political Science and Law made speeches respectively.
Professor Ding Jinguang's speech was entitled "China's Role in Global Climate Governance". He pointed out that in the past and in the future, China has always been a participant, contributor and leader in the construction of global ecological civilization, and has continuously contributed China's ideas, actions, assistance and solutions in the field of global climate governance. China should continue to promote the high-quality development of the green Belt and Road Initiative and make greater contributions to global climate governance.
Professor Li Qiang's speech was entitled "The Threefold Dimension of Constructing China's Discourse on Global Climate Governance". Starting from the three paths of moral discourse, institutional discourse, and communication discourse, he answered the question of how China should build a discourse in the field of global climate governance.
Professor Zhang Jingquan's speech was entitled "Ocean Politics: The Construction of Chinese Discourse on Global Ocean Governance". In view of the current dilemma of ocean governance, he discussed the construction of Chinese discourse on the object of ocean governance from the three dimensions of logic, value and connotation, and the relationship between practice and cognition, competition and cooperation, and power and interests.
Professor Xing Liju's speech was entitled "The Theoretical Connotation and Implication of the Global Civilization Initiative". Professor Xing clarified the connotation and goals of the Global Civilization Initiative, and compared Chinese and Western civilizations, believing that China's Initiative inherits the past, bases itself on the present, and focuses on the future. The initiative is rooted in the excellent traditional Chinese culture, embodies the concept of civilization in Chinese modernization, and plays an important role in safeguarding world peace and development.
Professor Li Huiming's speech was entitled "China's Plan for Global Governance: The Ontological Connotation of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind and the Future Global Order". He pointed out that both from the perspective of historical materialism and through the investigation of international political changes, it is clear that the human community is the inevitable orientation of historical development and choice. In the face of increasingly urgent challenges to the survival of mankind, only through human solidarity and cooperation, building consensus on the greatest values of mankind in the form of a community with a shared future for mankind, and promoting collective human action on the basis of the existing global governance organization and system with the United Nations at its core, can we fundamentally resist risks.
Associate Professor Li Xiaoyan gave a speech entitled "New Multilateralism: A Study on the Complementarity of Governance by Rules and Governance by Objectives". She believes that the new multilateralism is an effective restart of the failure of multilateralism, and delineates the scope and boundary of rule-based governance and target governance through two dimensions: the level of information transparency and the limitation of national autonomy. Finally, taking governance in the field of digital economy as an example, this paper analyzes how to combine target governance with rule governance.
The fourth topic was chaired by Chen Zhirui, executive editor-in-chief of Foreign Affairs Review and professor of China Foreign Affairs University, Guo Shuyong, editor-in-chief of International Observation and dean of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Shanghai Foreign Chinese University, Luo Jie, deputy editor-in-chief of World Knowledge Publishing House, Zhang Ping, director of the editorial department of International Relations of China Social Sciences Magazine, Sun Zhenhai, executive deputy editor-in-chief of International Outlook and researcher of Shanghai Institute of International Studies, and Du Yunquan, director of the editorial department of Exploration and Controversy, spoke in turn.
Professor Guo Shuyong summarized the recent issues of competition for discourse power in the field of global governance, and rethought the dilemma of global governance theory and practice from two dimensions: theory and history. Finally, he shared the focus of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Shanghai Wai Chinese University and the International Observation magazine on the cultivation of global governance talents and scientific research, in order to provide new inspiration for young students.
Luo Jie first gave a systematic introduction to World Knowledge magazine, and secondly, she analyzed in detail the major changes in global governance since the millennium and China's role in global governance by interpreting six nodal articles published by the journal since 2000 and articles with global governance as the cover topic. The impact and impact of changes in the global situation should also make us continue to reflect on and continue to promote the study of global governance.
Zhang Ping shared her observations and tracks on global governance research in the journal Social Sciences in China since the pandemic. 2020 is a year of reflection on the dilemma of global governance, and the academic community has begun to explore the way out of global governance from the perspective of international cooperation. 2021 is a year of transition for global governance research, which is struggling, and the research results mainly focus on climate governance and health governance. 2022 is a year of recovery, and research focuses on exploring new paths for global governance. 2023 will be a year of new departure, with more diverse topics and research perspectives in the field of global governance.
Sun Zhenhai summarized several issues that journals on international issues should pay attention to, and the articles published by the journal in the past five years show the characteristics of multiple fields and levels. At the same time, he discussed whether there are boundaries in the study of global governance and how to clarify them.
Since 2018, the journal has begun to pay more attention to major practical issues in the field of global governance, including the role of the state in global governance, regional turn, the interaction between global governance and regional governance, and how China participates in the reform of the global governance system. At present, with the development of the scientific and technological revolution, there is also a lot of room for discussion and research on technology governance and digital governance.
At the end of the meeting, Professor Qin Yaqing made a summary. Qin Yaqing expressed her heartfelt thanks to the organizers of the conference, the experts and scholars from various universities and scientific research institutions attending the conference, the editors-in-chief of the authoritative journals participating in the conference, and the teachers and conference staff who organized the conference. He said that the conference gathered top experts, scholars and authoritative editors in the field of global governance, and the academic ideas contained in the speeches at the conference were exciting, and the exchange and collision of different views was the charm of the academic conference. In response to this meeting, he put forward three thoughts. First, despite the major challenges facing global governance, it is indispensable, as it coexists with humanity at all times and is closely related to its destiny. Second, challenges and opportunities in global governance are intertwined and mutually transformed. There has been no fundamental qualitative change in the basic conditions of interdependence. Wise politicians, scholars, and ordinary people with feelings should consider how to turn challenges into opportunities, how to turn opportunities into better opportunities, and then take advantage of opportunities and create opportunities. Finally, we should still pay attention to China's identity, status, philosophy, and initiatives in global governance, and think about how to put forward a Chinese plan that can better implement and benefit the Chinese people and even all mankind.
Group photo of the 3rd Global Governance Frontier Forum
This symposium brought together the wisdom and insights of Chinese academics in the field of global governance research, demonstrated new breakthroughs and achievements in domestic global governance research, promoted the further development of domestic global governance research, opened up research ideas and research patterns for students, and provided strong support for the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Shandong University to strengthen academic exchanges and deepen global governance research.
Photo/text: Huang Wei and Xiang Wenjie (both Ph.D. students, School of Political Science and Public Administration, Shandong University)
Typography | Zhao Shuhan
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