The 2021 Belt and Road Studies Network Council Meeting was held on December 2, 2021 in a combination of online and ofine methods. Hu Biliang, Executive Dean of Belt and Road School attended the meeting and delivered a speech as a council member.

The meeting summarized the council’s work since the last council meeting, planned and discussed work in the next stage, elected a new president and council members of some governing bodies, and confrmed the name change of some governing bodies.

He Ping, the newly elected president and president of Xinhua News Agency, delivered a speech. He said that President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the 3rd Symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative recently, which demonstrated China’s determination and confdence in unswervingly expanding the high-level opening up and China’s responsible efforts in carrying forward the common values of all mankind and promoting a community with a shared future for mankind through the Belt and Road initiative. He pointed out that as an important force, think tanks shall play a greater role in pooling wisdom and building synergy by promoting the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, telling vivid stories of the Belt and Road, and accelerating people-to-people exchanges along the Belt and Road.

Hu Biliang shared his experience of studying President Xi Jinping’s important speech at the 3rd

Symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative and introduced the major achievements of Beijing Normal University (BNU) and Belt and Road School of BNU on the Belt and Road think tank development to representatives of Chinese and foreign think tanks. Hu Biliang also put forward specific views on the council’s work in the next stage. The meeting was hosted by Fu Hua, Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency.

The Belt and Road Studies Network was co-established by Xinhua News Agency and 15 Chinese and foreign think tanks in April 2019. Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University was one of the establishers.