"Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective” - World Conference on on China Studies (Shanghai Daily)

 

From Marco Polo to Modern China Studies: A Global Dialogue Opens in Shanghai

by Yang Jian

 Shanghai Daily, October 14, 2025 

Scholars and policymakers from over 60 countries are attending the World Conference on China Studies, which is themed "Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective."

Shot by Zhou Shengjie. Edited by Yang Meiping. Reported by Yang Jian. Subtitles by Yang Meiping. 

Dong Jun / Shanghai Daily

The World Conference on China Studies, which is themed "Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective," opened in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Global experts on China convened on Tuesday in Shanghai for the opening of the World Conference on China Studies, which is themed "Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective."

Nearly 500 scholars, policymakers, and cultural figures from over 60 countries are attending the event to explore both the continuity of Chinese civilization and its present-day transformation.

Curiosity about China has long crossed borders.

In the 13th century, Marco Polo introduced Europe to China. Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit scholar, wrote about Chinese culture and thought in the 16th century, bridging civilizations. By the 18th century, Chinese art and ideas had a big impact on shaping European thought. That centuries-old fascination has evolved into a modern academic field known as China studies.

During the opening ceremony, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng released the Shanghai Initiative for Global Mutual Learning and Advancement of China Studies.

"China studies is about both historical and contemporary China," Gong said. "It is also about understanding the world and promoting mutual learning among civilizations."

He urged the global scholars to "work together to build a community of knowledge that connects and inspires."

Dong Jun / Shanghai Daily

Participants from around the world attend the main forum of the World Conference on China Studies

According to British author Martin Jacques, technology and artificial intelligence will transform the way we study and understand China.

"We are witnessing the birth of a global village of knowledge," he said. "Artificial intelligence will transform the work of specialists and the nature of universities."

Jacques emphasized that understanding China requires new approaches and open dialogue.

"China is not Western, never has been, and never will be," he said. "The starting point must be understanding China as it is, on its own terms." He added that inclusiveness will be key to the field's future.

"The dialogue must remain open and cooperative," he said. "Only through genuine exchange can we deepen knowledge and trust."

Dong Jun / Shanghai Daily

Experts and delegates exchange views at the World Conference on China Studies.

For many attending scholars, China's transformation is not just research – it is experience.

Thomas Gold, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, first came to China in 1979 as one of the earliest American exchange students.

"I thought I knew Shanghai," he said. "But when I drove in from the airport the other night, I felt like a country visitor lost in a grand mansion."

He compared today's Pudong with the farmland he saw four decades ago. "Now, it's one of the most advanced urban districts anywhere," he said.

"China once looked outward for models. Today, many countries come here to learn from China's experience."

Dong Jun / Shanghai Daily

Experts exchange views at the World Conference on China Studies.

Esteban Zottele, vice director of the Latin American Studies Center at Changzhou University in neighboring Jiangsu Province, also shared his journey.

Growing up in Argentina, he first encountered Chinese culture when a circus troupe performed in his hometown. He later arrived in China in 1999 with a dictionary and a sense of curiosity.

"I learned Chinese step by step," he told Shanghai Daily. "If I had to use one word to describe China, it would be amazing."

His path later inspired his father, Aníbal Zottele, to open a China research center in Mexico. The two now help strengthen academic exchange between Latin America and China.

The conference, co-hosted by the State Council Information Office and the Shanghai government, includes a main forum, five sub-forums, and an exhibition titled "From Civilized Cities to Urban Civilization."

It also presents the global development initiative and a recommended reading list in China Studies.

"We have never been enemies in history. Of course, we have never been brothers. But we must and we can be at least good cousins," said the former Italian Prime Minister Prodi.

Dong Jun / Shanghai Daily

RCEP agreement in effect for all 15 members (Shanghai Daily)

Depois da saída dos EUA – pelo idiota do Trump – do TPP (que ficou a 11 membros apenas), o RCEP a 15 é o maior bloco comercial do mundo. Os EUA estão retrocedendo no impulso multilateralista que deram ao mundo desde Bretton Woods: simplesmente deixaram o campo livre à China, que atua pelos mesmos princípios que outrora fizeram a riqueza do Reino Unido e dos EUA. 

RCEP agreement in effect for all 15 members

Xinhua

  13:22 UTC+8, 2023-06-02       

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement took effect on Friday for the Philippines, confirming that the RCEP agreement is now in effect for all 15 members.

The full RCEP implementation reflects the determination and actions of its 15 members — 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand — in supporting an open, free, fair, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system, China's commerce ministry commented.

The RCEP agreement was signed in November 2020 by the 15 Asia-Pacific countries after eight years of negotiations. It entered into force on the first day of 2022, creating the world's largest trade bloc.

The full implementation will inject strong momentum into regional economic integration, comprehensively enhance the level of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in East Asia, and contribute to the long-term stable development of the regional and global economy, said the commerce ministry.

In 2022, trade between China and other RCEP members increased 7.5 percent year on year to 12.95 trillion yuan (US$1.82 trillion), while their investment in China, in actual use, went up 23.1 percent to US$23.53 billion, data showed.

China will continue to ensure solid RCEP implementation to give full play to its role in facilitating supply chain and industrial chain cooperation, as well as promoting high-standard opening up and high-quality development, the ministry said.

China will also work with other parties to fulfill its obligations, strengthen the RCEP mechanism, enhance the overall implementation of the agreement, and provide a strong guarantee for the steady development of RCEP cooperation, it said.

Source: Xinhua   Editor: Wang Qingchu

20o. Congresso do Partido Comunista Chinês - Shanghai Daily

Meu jornal chinês preferido, o Shanghai Daily, foi todo dedicado ao 20. Congresso do Partido Comunista Chinês, encerrado ontem em Beijing.  

New CPC leadership to meet press on Sunday

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee will meet the press on Sunday.

Read More

Xi Jinping presiding over 20th CPC National Congress closing session Xi Jinping is presiding over the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday. Read More 20th CPC National Congress concludes in Beijing The week-long 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded on Saturday in Beijing. Read More

CPC elects new Central Committee, new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection have been elected. Read More Resolution on 19th CPC Central Committee report adopted at 20th CPC National Congress The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Saturday passed a resolution endorsing the report of the 19th CPC Central Committee. Read More

Resolution on Party Constitution amendment adopted at 20th CPC National Congress The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Saturday passed a resolution on an amendment to the CPC Constitution. Read More

Resolution on work report of 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection adopted at CPC congress The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Saturday passed a resolution on the work report of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Read More

When will we know who the next General Secretary is? First we need to understand the Central Committee Many Westerners don't really understand China, let alone how the Communist Party runs China. Here are some basics about the most powerful body of the Party: the Central Committee

Um número inteiro do Shanghai Daily dedicado quase que inteiramente, exclusivamente, ao tema da Covid-19

 Um número inteiro do Shanghai Daily dedicado quase que inteiramente, exclusivamente, ao tema da Covid-19: December 20, 2020 

China to inoculate key groups with COVID-19 vaccines in winter, spring

China will start inoculating some key groups with COVID-19 vaccines in this winter-spring period, said a National Health Commission official in Beijing on Saturday.

Read More

Latest coronavirus pictographs in Shanghai, China and around the world These charts are updated once a day. Read More All aboard, as Metro Line 18 stations to open soon Eight new stations in the southern part of Metro Line 18 have passed safety assessments and will open to passengers by the end of this year, according to Shanghai Metro. Read More

Fine way to solve downtown parking problems Two of the city's busy streets now allow people to park for only one hour during the day. Read More Beijing hotel classified as medium-risk for COVID-19 A hotel building was classified as a medium-risk area for COVID-19 starting on Saturday after the hotel received an imported confirmed case, local health authorities said. Read More

Souvenir competition winners worth remembering Thirty-four souvenirs blending traditional Chinese culture, haipai flavor and innovative designs were recognized in the city's annual tourism souvenir design competition. Read More

East China city finds coronavirus on imported frozen food The eastern Chinese city of Huzhou found an imported frozen food packaging sample that tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local authorities said on Saturday. Read More

UK PM announces new tighter COVID restrictions for London, parts of England British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced a new Tier Four of coronavirus restrictions for London. Read More

Chinese mainland reports 23 new COVID-19 cases China's National Health Commission said on Sunday that it received reports of 23 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Saturday. Read More

11 imported COVID-19 cases reported in Shanghai The city reported 11 imported novel coronavirus cases on Saturday, said the Shanghai Health Commission on Sunday morning. Read More

Livrarias em Shanghai: vale a viagem... - Shanghai Daily

Book fair 'magic' casts spell on the new-look bookstores

 

Yao MinjiKe Jiayun

  Shanghai Daily, 19:38 UTC+8, 2020-08-14       

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Booklovers enjoy the airy atmosphere at the Light Space Xinhua Bookstore in the Aegean Place shopping center in Minhang District.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic,” said Stephen King, the popular American author of horror, suspense and fantasy novels.

His observation might be an apt description of the ongoing Shanghai Book Fair, which is highlighting the magic of the written word in all aspects of life.

The fair, which ends on Tuesday, gives the floor to publishers and bookshop owners encouraging more people to read.

“The book fair has always responded to evolving reading habits, lifestyle and market trends,” said Xu Jiong, head of the Shanghai Press and Publication Bureau. “The promotion of reading should not be limited only to booklovers.”

Reading, of course, is undergoing bifurcation, branching into a competition between traditional books and e-books.

The onset of the digital age has forced many traditional bookshops to implement creative ways of attracting new readers while keeping their loyal customers.

They install cafes, sell crafts and adopt eye-catching decor. A book on floral design might come gift-wrapped in box with a flower bouquet. Coffee may be served in cups bearing quotes from a book, which can be ordered. Bookshops peddle books on livestreaming sites usually specializing in cosmetics.

All this new marketing flare is reflected at this year’s book fair.

“The coronavirus epidemic has pushed the fair to undergo an unprecedented transformation,” Xu said. “We need to break boundaries in order to upgrade the publishing industry.”

At the fair’s “sleeping library” section, books like Somerset Maugham’s “The Moon and Sixpence” and American poet Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” share space with pleasant aromatics, music and art to create the ideal environment for a bedtime read.

The two partners behind the “sleeping library” are Shanghai Salian Bookstore and Atour Hotel, which have worked together to build reading areas in Atour hotels and set up two-week flash bookstores in the city’s shopping malls.

At Atour hotels, patrons can take a book home from the reading area and return it to any of the chain’s sites.

“We also plan to work with tourism companies to create scenarios for reading in the scenic outdoors,” said Wu Hao, manager of Salian Bookstore. “We want to bring reading into forestlands and lakefronts.”

Books also are finding a place at the dinner table.

One of the fair’s new features is Writer’s Gourmet Menu. The seven-episode talk show series, with one segment aired each day of the fair, takes authors to seven restaurants specializing in different styles of cuisine. Over dinner, the authors discuss literature.

“It’s great to see,” said science-fiction writer Chen Qiufan, who was invited to discuss what aliens might eat while enjoying a gourmet meal at Jade Mansion in the IFC Mall in Pudong. “A book fair can ‘graft’ literature onto dining, merging literature and cuisine. This is a nice beginning.”

Bookstores around the city are serving as branches of the fair outside of the main venue at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. At the center, online reservations and restricted capacity have been imposed because of the coronavirus epidemic. Branch activities give more people the opportunity to participate.

“I’ve been going to the fair every year since it started,” said Wang Jianjun, 79, as he walked out of the bookstore in the Jing’an Kerry Center with his 12-year-old granddaughter. “But I was a bit slow to understand the online booking this year, and only day tickets for Tuesday were left when my granddaughter finally helped me. But I didn’t want to wait until Tuesday. It’s kind of a ceremonial thing for me to see the fair on its first day. So we decided to visit the branch venues in mall bookstores near home.”

Shopping malls have long been bookstore buddies. They were among the first to offer help when brick-and-mortar bookshops hit their lows in 2012, providing space for low or even no rent. In return, the malls have benefited from culturally minded customers attracted to the mall by its bookshops.

Over the years, the partnership between bookstores and malls has become more integrated.

Ti Gong

Tian Yimiao, a music writer and scholar, autographs her new book “I, Sea and Library” for fans at a book fair event hosted by Duoyun Bookstore. The bookstore on the 52nd floor of Shanghai Tower is the highest in the city.

One of the most successful collaborations is between Light Space Xinhua Bookstore in the Aegean Place shopping center in Minhang District.

It’s a marriage of books and architecture. The store interior was designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, best known for his poetic melding of light and space.

The exquisitely designed interior features a spiral stairway, arty bookshelves and cozy seating areas that transformed the more than 70-year-old shop into a cultural landmark.

“We host regular meetings at Aegean Place,” said Chen Yi, executive director of Light Space. “When we have themed book events, we hold them outside our bookshop or in other places in the shopping center, like the atrium. We also contribute our resources to help when Aegean holds cultural events.”

Chen cited a three-day event last year featuring illustrated books held in the mall’s gazebo every evening. It was so successful that the event was extended to several months. The event was suspended due to the epidemic, but Chen said she expects it to restart later in the year.

Her shop had annual foot traffic of nearly a million before the pandemic. She said customer numbers will gradually return as life in the city returns to normal.

“Aegean’s developer and our parent company wanted this shop to be more culturally inviting than shops usually found in shopping malls,” she said. “Commercial complexes used to be focused only on consumer demand, but now many of them are also addressing spiritual needs.”

People who visit Light Space often patronize restaurants in the mall. People who come to see the center’s grand music fountain often stop by the bookshop.

Light Space also works with other shops in the mall. It created a Marvel bookshelf when a Marvel movie was being screened in the cinema next door.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Duoyun Bookstore on the 52nd floor of Shanghai Tower

Duoyun Bookstore, on the 52nd floor of Shanghai Tower, the highest in the city, is another example of a cultural site that goes beyond just books.

The shop sponsors reading clubs specializing in books by local authors or with themes related to Shanghai.

“We have been a branch venue for the book fair for two years now,” said He Xiaomin, public relations manager at parent company Duoyun Books. “With our location, we can attract more people to join the fair’s events and provide a cultural experience for customers in this commercial complex.”

More bookstores are following suit.

A new outlet of China Publishing Bookstore opened on the first day of the book fair at a commercial complex in Fengxian District. Its design integrates elements of old waterfront towns with modern design concepts.

Japanese chain Tsutaya, which runs 1,400 bookstores in Japan, is expected to open in century-old Columbia Circle in Changning District by the end of this year.

The chain’s first shop in Shanghai is based on the concept of “lifestyle navigation” of its flagship store in Tokyo, fusing books, videos and music albums.

Source: SHINE   Editor: Xu Qing