On September 3, 2022, the 6^th Taihe Civilizations Forum (TCF) opened in Beijing, China. Given that the Covid-19 pandemic has not yet subsided, the forum is once again being held both online and on-site. At the opening ceremony, a number of guests, experts and scholars from China and abroad delivered their opening remarks and noted the ongoing success of the Taihe Civilizations Forum.

 

In his opening speech, Wu Hailong, President of China Public Diplomacy Association, said, "Today, the international situation is extremely volatile. In this increasingly divided, risky and volatile world, people cannot help but wonder where we are heading and what the future looks like for all of us. The complex and gloomy global environment has left China exposed to unexpected events and unusual difficulties. China finds itself in a high-risk zone where internal conflicts intertwine and overlap with external ones. To realize national rejuvenation, China must maintain strategic focus and take the initiative to head off dangers and turn risks into opportunities. There is no way around it. All these topics are awaiting insights and solutions from the distinguished guests at the 6^th Taihe Civilizations Forum."

 

Stephen Orlins, President of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, remarked, "It comes as no surprise to any of my friends attending this conference that U.S.-China relations have reached new lows in the last few months. I, for one, will not sit idly by and watch the deterioration of the relationship that will determine if my children and grandchildren live in a peaceful and prosperous world in the 21^st century. Despite all the negativity, I still believe that our situation can and will change. The hopeful energy of our young people will drive us towards a brighter future, but it will only happen if conferences like this and think tanks like Taihe Institute and every person in this room work to educate the peoples of both countries about the other. And that is why what you are doing is so important."

 

Rashid Alimov, Distinguished Fellow of Taihe Institute and former Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, stated, "The course of history cannot be stopped. The world has already become multipolar and China is one of its leading poles. To the diversity of them, the world cannot be reduced to two colors - black and white. The world is a rainbow of colors, in which each is unique. They may compete with each other, but this does not mean the right of one to exclude all the others. The real problems and disagreements that arise between countries and are related to security and development can and should be resolved only through dialogue and the search for a compromise. Dialogue among civilizations, dialogue between the world’s leading powers is the only answer in the fight against the most dangerous enemies of mankind. The Taihe Civilizations Forum - an integral platform for discussing the most pressing problems of our time and the contribution of the world's leading experts in the search for effective answers to the challenges of our time through dialogue."

 

Susan Thornton, Senior Fellow of Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School, said, "The world is of course facing many challenges and uncertainties at the moment, and many people are feeling insecure or even fearful about their futures. Throughout history in such circumstances, we have seen the outbreak of turmoil and conflict, and indeed, we see this happening today. It is my hope that such discussions like the one we are embarking on can show the way toward more enlightened leadership and dynamic cooperation among civilizations as we tackle today's problems. The voices that seek understanding among civilizations are more important now than ever."

 

Zhang Xinsheng, Senior Fellow of Taihe Institute and Secretary-General of the Communications Science & Technology Commission of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, said, "The world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. Indeed, a tectonic shift is occurring across the globe, and China is no exception. Concepts such as 'digitalization' and 'de-carbonization' are being actively pursued across all continents. Moreover, the 'dual carbon' goals would be near impossible to achieve without institutional support, technological innovation and financial support. The Taihe Civilizations Forum has provided a valuable platform for people from all walks of life to compare notes on technological and social development."

 

Rovshan Muradov, Secretary-General of Nizami Ganjavi International Center, stated, "We has a special role to play. To heal our fractured world, we must strive for peace. Even where there is division, we must work for dialogue. And even people are violently pushed apart, we must attempt to bring them together. And yes, even when old bridges are being blown up, we at the Taihe Civilizations Forum must try to build bridges together."

 

The 6^th Taihe Civilizations Forum (TCF) will still follow the core theme of "Science Culture, Future Ethics, and Common Values" and consists of three sub-sessions: Education and Culture, Economy and Technology, and International Relations. The TCF brings together international expert committees to trigger and stimulate important ideas about China and the world.

 

The Sub-Session on Education and Culture of the TCF was held on September 3, 2022. It focused on "Vocational Education and Economic Development," with two special topics of Vocational Education and High-Quality Employment, and Vocational Education and Rural Revitalization. High-quality economic development cannot be achieved without high-quality technical talents. The development of agriculture supported by science and technology, industry, and culture also requires special attention being paid to cultivating a high-quality team of farmers who adapt to agricultural modernization and rural development. In view of this, Liu Jiantong, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Society for Technical and Vocational Education, said in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony that, "The changing times have brought robust demands for technological talents and, by extension, high-quality vocational education. Exploring and promoting the innovative development of vocational education is not just a responsibility of vocational educators. It is also a great endeavor worth the attention of the economic, industrial, technological and other sectors."

 

The Sub-Session on Economy and Technology will be held on September 4, 2022. At present, "carbon peak" and "carbon neutral" have become the common vision of human society. Accordingly, a series of significant changes in manufacturing and lifestyle, social governance mode, and economic and industrial structure will take place. The Economy and Technology Sub-Session focuses on the theme of "Relying on Technology and Innovation to Create a New Zero-Carbon World," and guides the following three topics: Carbon Finance Innovation and Metrics. How Can Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Goals Be Measured and Achieved? Key Low-Carbon Innovations and Technologies. And the Top-Level Mechanisms and Policy Designs for Achieving Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Goals. Yin Ye, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of BGI Group pointed out in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony that, "Perhaps we have taken too much from the nature so that we have forgotten our responsibility to give back. We must know that humanity without technology may be foolish, but technology without humanity is dangerous. Earth can do without us, but we can't do without Earth. Protecting Earth is protecting ourselves."

 

The Sub-Session on International Relations will be held on September 6, 2022, and is focused on two topics: Great Power Competition, Regional Cooperation and Asia-Pacific Security and Development and The Changing European Security Landscape and Its Impact on International Order. Guo Changlin, Senior Fellow of Taihe Institute, said in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony that, "There is a distinct possibility that the Taiwan question will plunge China-U.S. relations into a 'high-risk period.' China must keep its goals in mind and the situation in hand. We must give full concentration to construction and development. Only if we keep developing can we be more confident and capable of addressing the new challenges posed by the profound changes unseen in a century."