Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/yfVREjSVpdg
Against the backdrop of accelerating global shifts and profound changes in the governance landscape, the Understanding China Conference has become a vital bridge connecting China with the world. In 2025, under the theme “New Plan, New Development, New Choices: Chinese Modernization and the New Patterns of Global Governance”, the conference hosted the forum “Silk Road Story: City Future and Shenzhen Actions” on December 2 in Guangzhou. Jointly organized by Guangdong Radio and Television Station, Shenzhen Urban Planning & Land Resource Research Center, and Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation, the forum gathered global political, business, and academic leaders to exchange insights and explore new pathways for building a community with a shared future for mankind. It was not only an in-depth dialogue on urban development but also an effort to showcase Shenzhen’s practices as a living case study, aiming to construct a narrative system of urban value based on Shenzhen’s experience. This initiative seeks to enhance the city’s influence in the discourse of global urban governance, build momentum for Shenzhen’s hosting of the APEC Summit in 2026, and further elevate its international image.
Enriched Dialogues and Innovative Approaches: China's Wisdom in Urban Governance
"Within just a few decades, Shenzhen has risen from a backward border town into a modern international metropolis, marking a miracle in the history of global development created by the Chinese people," noted Cao Saixian, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, in her keynote address. Speaking to the international community, she shared the future vision of Shenzhen evolving from a "window" of reform and opening-up into a major platform for Asia-Pacific diplomacy. With the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting to be held in Shenzhen in 2026, this youthful city, where the average age is just 32.5, is embracing this home-ground diplomatic event as a new starting point. Through the energy and creativity of its young residents, Shenzhen is showcasing to the world a city-level blueprint of Chinese modernization.
At the roundtable dialogue on "Shenzhen Urban Index (SUI) and Global Urban Governance", Shan Liang, Director of the Urban Planning & Land Resource Research Center, provided an in-depth interpretation of the Shenzhen Urban Index and its practical applications. He emphasized, "The SUI goes beyond measuring traditional indicators such as GDP and skyscraper counts. Instead, it focuses more on the city's innovative vitality, humanistic quality, ecological sustainability, and global connectivity." The introduction of this index aims to "seek truth from facts" by summarizing "Shenzhen's practices" into "Shenzhen's experience". Furthermore, it seeks to elevate Shenzhen's experience into a modern theoretical and knowledge framework, enabling it to engage in and lead the conversation on global urban governance while enriching the "new options" available to urban civilizations worldwide.
Diverse Interactions Foster Cooperation, and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations Writes a New Chapter
The forum also featured the award ceremony and participant showcase for the fourth "Just Shenzhen Just Young" video contest. Through the youthful perspective and audiovisual language, the competition showcased Shenzhen's urban vitality and innovative spirit to the world. As a flagship initiative of the Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation, the video contest has been successfully held four times, attracting enthusiastic participation from numerous overseas youth. To date, it has garnered over 400 outstanding submissions from Chinese and international creators and received extensive coverage in more than 1,300 domestic and international media outlets. Related topics on Weibo achieved a readership of 7 million, and selected works by young filmmakers have even been showcased on the United Nations platforms, reflecting the contest's growing influence.
As the convener of this Bay Area Dialogue, Xie Yifei, Chief Reporter of Guangdong Radio and Television Station and one of the first batch of Young Innovation Talents in the national radio, television, and online audio-visual industry recognized by the NRTA, elaborated on the media's role in "Understanding China". Under the theme "New Voices, New Narratives: Letting the World Hear China, See China, and Fall in Love with China", she emphasized the principle of "welcoming guests and making friends across the world". The program "Silk Road Story" takes the spirit of the Silk Road as its inspiration, pioneering innovative approaches to international communication by exploring stories along the Silk Road. In this way, it provides a powerful model for telling China's stories in the new era and reflects the dynamic exchange between today's China and the global community.
In addition to discussions on core topics, the event also featured carefully designed interactive sessions to bridge ideas with tangible cooperation. The "Silk Road Treasures" appreciation event brought together products from Belt and Road partners, such as enterprises from Georgia and cities like Jiangmen. Through the display of high-quality products, the event promoted trade exchanges and cultural integration, embodying the open concept of both "bringing in and going global". Furthermore, activities like the "Songshan Lake Exploration Tour" gave participants a direct experience of the innovation-driven energy within the Greater Bay Area.
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