China and Neighboring Countries High-Level Think Tank Forum 2026 was held in Beijing on April 28-29. The forum was themed Pursuing Extensive Development and Sharing Prosperous Future. Gao Xiang, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Phinij Jarusombat, former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; and Hyun Oh-seok, former Deputy Prime Minister of the ROK, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.
President Gao Xiang pointed out that currently, the transformations of the world, the era, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. On the one hand, the historical tide of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit remains unstoppable; the will of the people and the prevailing trend determine that humanity's future is ultimately bright. On the other hand, hegemonic and bullying practices such as bullying the weak by the strong, opportunistic exploitation, and zero-sum games pose profound harm, while deficits in peace, development, security, and governance have intensified, presenting unprecedented challenges to human society. Against this backdrop, China remains committed to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries and working together with them to achieve common development. China's Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries held in April 2025 clearly outlined the approaches and measures for jointly creating a brighter future with neighboring countries, injecting predictable and sustainable positive energy into a world fraught with turbulence.
President Gao Xiang pointed out that the farther we can see into the past, the farther we can advance into the future. Thousands of years of civilizational exchanges have repeatedly demonstrated that only by fostering good relations and partnership with neighbors can we lay the foundation for harmonious coexistence among nations. Looking ahead, we must deepen mutual trust in good neighborliness, strengthen safeguards for neighborly security, and promote cooperation aimed at prosperous neighbors. With greater openness and more pragmatic actions, we should work together with neighboring countries to forge a new path of international relations characterized by a shared destiny and win-win cooperation. This forum coincides with the first anniversary of China’s Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries. We look forward to participating experts and scholars fully leveraging their professional expertise, actively offering insights and suggestions, and contributing more wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for neighboring countries in the new era.
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Phinij Jarusombat, stated that China and Thailand are closely connected as one family, and genuine, lasting economic and political cooperation between the two countries must be built on trust. Chinese modernization is not only a development blueprint for China but also provides valuable experience and opportunities for Global South Countries. He called on Asian nations to uphold multilateralism and work together to build an Asian community rooted in traditional wisdom and driven by modern innovation.
Former Deputy Prime Minister of the ROK, Hyun Oh-Seok, stated that the global economy has entered a new era shaped by geopolitical shocks, with economic policies increasingly influenced by strategic considerations and globalization being realigned along more strategic pathways. Countries can draw on the wisdom of the standing together in adversity ethos inherent in Chinese civilization to jointly stabilize economic relations, reduce uncertainties, maintain an open and predictable economic system, and build a more resilient and inclusive global economy.
Representatives from think tanks in Asian countries, along with experts and scholars from domestic research institutions, think tanks, and universities, participated in the forum, engaging in in-depth discussions on three major topics: China's Strategic Cooperation with Neighboring Countries, China's Economic Development with Neighboring Countries and China's Cultural Exchanges with Neighboring Countries.
The participating scholars unanimously agreed that China shares contiguous borders, cultural ties, and a common destiny with its neighboring countries. In the face of the practical challenges posed by certain countries' promotion of unilateralism and the creation of bloc confrontation, neighboring countries should further uphold the tradition of good-neighborliness and friendship, adhere to the principles of the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy. They expressed their commitment to leveraging this forum as an opportunity to fully utilize the bridging role of think tanks, conduct in-depth discussions and offer policy recommendations on key areas and critical issues in China's cooperation with neighboring countries, thereby making due contributions to advancing the build of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries.
The forum was jointly organized by the National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and The Secretariat of the National Top Think Tank, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
