Under the “Dialogues on China” format, the two-day international scientific conference titled “New Chinese Initiatives for a changing Global Security” was successfully conducted at the Institute of International Politics and Economics. This conference was jointly organized by the IIPE, the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the China-CEE Institute from Budapest.
During the opening ceremony, Professor Dr. Branislav Đorđević, the Director of the Institute, and Ms. Irena Šarac, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, delivered speeches. Additionally, H.E. Li Ming, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia, and Dr. Feng Zhongping, Director of the Institute for European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also addressed the audience.
Professor Dr. Branislav Đorđević, in his address, emphasized that the third annual conference within the “Dialogues on China” series contributes to a better understanding of contemporary international relations, economy, and security. He highlighted the Institute’s mission to excel in scientific research on both domestic and international levels.
Ms. Irena Šarac, in her speech, referred to the recent “Belt and Road” Initiative Summit in Beijing, underlining the robust bilateral and economic ties between Serbia and the People’s Republic of China.
Ambassador Li Ming highlighted that China’s new initiatives align with the country’s diplomatic philosophy, focusing on peace, stability, material prosperity, and spiritual wealth. He emphasized China’s commitment to high-quality development for the improvement of living standards globally.
Dr. Feng Zhongping, in a video message, expressed confidence in the continued scientific cooperation between the two institutions and wished participants success.
The conference’s working session included a Keynote Speech by Dr. Ivona Lađevac, Deputy Director of the IIPE, titled “China’s responses to the New World Order”. Dr. Lađevac analyzed the outcomes of the “Belt and Road” Initiative’s first decade and discussed three new initiatives proposed in 2021 and 2022.
Pointing out the challenges facing China and the implementation of this Initiative, Dr. Lađevac presented arguments in support of the openness of official Beijing’s policy towards all countries interested in deepening cooperation. In the continuation of her presentation, Dr. Lađevac presented the initial achievements of three Chinese initiatives proposed during 2021 and 2022 – Global Security Initiative, Global Development Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. According to Dr. Ivona Lađevac, China will remain an advocate of the idea of creating a “Global Community for a Common Future” that will lead all of humanity to the desired prosperity.
The conference proceeded with four thematic panels. The first panel “China in the New World Order”, featured presentations by Professor Bart Dessein, Professor Richard Sakwa, Dr. Kong Tianping, Dr. Ladislav Zemanek, and Msc. Stanislav Gubenko, moderated by Dr. Vladimir Trapara, with Dr. Dušan Proroković as the discussant.
The second panel “New Chinese Initiatives and Global Security,” moderated by Dr. Bogdan Stojanović, included presentations by Msc. Najla Alzarooni, Dr. Nenad Stekić, Dr. Aleksandar Mitić, Dr. Slobodan Popović in co-authorship with Dr. Ljiljana Stević, and Dr. Przemysław Ciborek, with Dr. Slobodan Janković as the discussant.
The third panel, “The Belt and Road Initiative – a Decade of Chinese Assertiveness”, moderated by Dr. Marina Kostić Šulejić, showcased presentations of Dr. Levente Horváth, Dr. Valentin Katrandzhiev, Dr. Zhao Jizhou, Dr. Chaoting Cheng, Msc. Nikola Rajić in co-authorship with Dr. Aleksandar Gajić, and Msc. Pavle Nedić, with Dr. Miloš Petrović as the discussant.
The fourth and final panel, “Global Impact of Chinese Policies: Case Studies” moderated by Dr. Sanja Jelisavac Trošić, featured presentations by Dr. Jennifer Pédussel Wu in co-authorship with Dr. Clark Banach, Dr. Katarina Zakić, Dr. Zhang Haiyang, Dr. Zvonimir Stopić in co-authorship with Dr. Ivica Bakota and with Dr. Senada Šelo Šabić, Dr. Jelena Gledić, and Dr. Jovana Dubonjac, while the discussion was introduced by Dr. Aleksandra Tošović-Stevanović.
A total of 36 researchers from fifteen countries took part in the Conference, and all presentations will be published in the Conference Proceedings. The event attracted a lot of attention from the academic community from Serbia and abroad, as well as numerous media.
