2nd World Peace Forum Held at Tsinghua

Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on Thursday addressed the 2nd World Peace Forum in Beijing with a call for all nations to strengthen cooperation on security challenges and achieve the long-lasting peace and common prosperity of the world.

The forum was also attended by President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma, President of Suriname Desire Bouterse, and many former foreign leaders including former Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, former Prime Minister of France Dominique Galouzeau de Villepin, former Prime Minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama, former National Security Advisor of United State Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski, former Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Igor Ivanov, and former EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. Former State Councilor and Chairman of the World Peace Forum Tang Jiaxuan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of Education Yuan Guiren, Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress Fu Ying, Tsinghua Univeristy President Chen Jining, Tsinghua University Council Chairman Hu Heping, Tsinghua Vice President Xie Weihe, Tsinghua Vice President Yuan Si, and Tsinghua University Council Vice Chairperson Shi Zongkai, attended the forum.

Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao addressed the World Peace Forum 

"Peace is the primary need of people all over the world, including Chinese people," Li said at the forum's opening ceremony.

He pointed that development can not be achieved without a peaceful environment, and therefore, all countries in the world should live in peace, resolve disputes and conflicts through peaceful means and make concerted efforts to safeguard regional and world peace.

He voiced the hope that all countries will pursue the path of peaceful development and make joint efforts to create a bright future for the peaceful development of all peoples.

Noting that security problems are a major challenge standing in the way of world peace, he said that all countries should set up the new security concept of increasing security through development and mutually beneficial cooperation and resolve differences through peaceful dialogues.

President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma delivered a speech

President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma and President of Suriname Desire Bouterse both delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, calling for active cooperation on international security.

President of Suriname Desire Bouterse delivered a speech

The forum, hosted by Tsinghua University in conjunction with the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, is the first high-level non-governmental seminar focusing on security topics that China has hosted. This year's theme is "International Security in a Changing World: Peace, Development, Innovation." Nearly 500 experts and scholars from over 80 countries and foreign diplomats in China attended the opening ceremony.

Tsinghua University President Chen Jining hosted the opening ceremony

The forum is held annually at Tsinghua in the summer with the purpose of providing world strategists a platform to discuss international security issues, on how to deal with global or regional security threats, how to strengthen international security cooperation and how to achieve lasting peace.