ICC Held a Welcome Banquet for the Delegates from the Blavatnik School of Government of the University of Oxford

On December 13, the International Cooperation Center (ICC) Joint Council hosted a reception dinner to welcome the delegation from the Blavatnik School of Government of the University of Oxford at the Zijin Service Center of the Government Offices Administration of the State Council. Ma Shengrong, former Vice President and Executive Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency, met with the delegates led by Ngaire Woods, the founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government. Zhang Chongqing, member of the ICC Strategy Advisory Committee and Honorary Chairman of the China Group Companies Association (CGCA), presided over the welcome banquet. 

Welcome Banquet at Zijin Service Center

Meeting with the delegation from the Blavatnik School of Government

Along with Chinese and foreign guests, Ma Shengrong met with the delegates led by Professor Ngaire Woods. The general consensus among participants is that friendly exchanges between Chinese and British people enjoy a long history, and the two peoples share a strong will to deepen mutual understanding. As an ancient Chinese saying goes, friendship between the peoples is the key to state-to-state relations. As early as 400 years ago, the University of Oxford forged ties with China. Since the founding of People's Republic of China, the Oxford University has played a vital part in deepening mutual understanding and promoting amity between the two peoples. Both sides hoped that the ICC and the Blavatnik School of Government will strengthen exchanges and cooperation and work together to provide rich cultural basis for the long-term development of bilateral relations, and inject strong impetus to upholding multilateralism in responding to regional and global challenges.

Special guests, including Siddharth Chatterjee, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, Steven Barnett, the IMF's Senior Resident Representative for China, Jang Ping Thia, Principal Economist and Manager of Economics Department, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) , Long Yuxiang, winner of the UNESCO Five Continents Medal and Executive Chairman of China International Cultural Communication Center, Cai Jinyong, former CEO of International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group and independent non-executive Director of PetroChina Company Limited, attended the banquet and delivered speeches respectively.

Ma Shengrong is delivering a speech.

Zhang Chongqing is presiding over the banquet.

Zhang Chongqing presided over the reception dinner and remarked that the world is undergoing profound and complex changes and the international community is facing multiple unprecedented challenges. Visionary people in China and the UK should take a long-term and strategic view to jointly promote the historical trend of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results. The ICC stands ready to join hands with the Blavatnik School of Government to bolster the friendship between the two peoples, ramp up mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, as well as strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, for a more stable and mutually beneficial China-UK relations and the greater cause of peace and development of mankind.

Under the theme of “Adhering to Multilateralism and Addressing Regional and Global Challenges”, 15 guests delivered speeches from different perspectives at the banquet. All participants agreed on the importance of strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation. Interconnected world calls for a networked multilateralism so that global and regional organizations can exchange with each other and work together to meet challenges and achieve common goals.

Siddharth Chatterjee attended the welcome banquet.

Ngaire Woods (middle), Steven Barnett (second from the right), Cai Jinyong (fourth from the left)

Chinese Guests, including Jiang Xiheng, Director of the International Cooperation Center of the Development Research Center (DRC) of the State Council, Xie Pei, Leader of the Inspection Team of the Party Committee of the Export-Import Bank of China, Jia Bingjun, Director of the International Business Department of China Datang Corporation and Chairman of the Overseas Investment Company, Li Xiaoyun, distinguished Professor in College of Humanities and Development Studies at China Agricultural University and Honorary Dean of the China institute for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture, and foreign gusts, including Clare Leaver, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, Thomas Hale, Professor in Public Policy (Global Policy), Stefan Dercon, Professor of Economic Policy, Sarah McAra, Senior Case Writer and Associate Director at the Blavatnik School's Case Centre on Public Leadership, Anna Petherick, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Director of Lemann Foundation Program, Aaron Maniam, Fellow of Practice and Director of Digital Transformation Education, and Maya Tudor, Associate Professor of Government and Public Policy, attended the dinner and gave wonderful speeches.

Zhang Yu, Deputy Director of the ICC Steering Committee, Qian Zhu, visiting expert of the ICC and Deputy Director of the Central Liaison Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, Zhu Hongshan, visiting expert of the ICC and former Deputy General Manager of the Strategic Development Department of China Communications Construction Group, Tang Jili, Advisor to the Cultural Exchange Committee of the ICC and Chairman of China Film International Media Company, Cheng Yu, Executive Secretary General of the ICC, Xin Shaosong, Executive Deputy Director of the ICC's Office, leaders and experts of the Strategic Advisory Committee, Steering Committee, Secretariat of the Joint Council and Foreign Exchange Committee of the ICC, including Peng Jie, Zheng Guangyu and Guo Yaohua, attended the banquet.