On May 6, 2022, Ambassador Hisham Al-Zimaity, ECFA Secretary General, participated in a virtual symposium, organized by the Chinese Institute for Financial Studies, in cooperation with the China Public Diplomacy Association in Beijing, entitled: “Seeking Peace and Promoting Development: An Online Dialogue of Global Think Tanks of 20 Countries”, which aimed to address the effects of regional conflicts, technological developments, and the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, which entail the necessity of redeveloping the system, with a focus on the importance of unity rather than division, dialogue rather than confrontation, mutual respect and support for multilateral organizations rather than selectivity and supremacy over others, and encouraging the peace-loving and development-seekers to positive collective action.

Twenty Chinese political and academic figures participated in the symposium, and from a number of countries, including Egypt, Slovenia, Russia, Malaysia, Britain, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Chile, Canada, Iran, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa and France, as well as the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The symposium was opened by the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister. The Chinese speakers focused on the elements of the comprehensive stability initiative put forward by the Chinese President on April 21, 2022; elements capable of reducing tension, confrontation, and useless military alliances, including the defense of the “one China” policy. They also referred to the bankruptcy of the regimes that claim Democracy in achieving stability in the world, but rather it has become a source of danger to international peace and stability. On their part, Western speakers addressed the great importance that NATO has gained since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, and what this requires in terms of structural reforms in all international organizations and existing security arrangements, as well as dealing more seriously with climate change.

On the other hand, speakers from third world countries focused on the importance of the comprehensive stability initiative put forward by the Chinese President, being complementary to the Belt and Road Initiative and necessary to restore the required balance for world stability. A number of speakers criticized the bad state of U.S.-China relations, blaming the U.S. for its insistence on imposing its will on the world despite its diminishing global role. In addition, some have demanded that the intensification of cooperation between the countries of Europe and Asia, EURASIA, must be the normal response to the expansion of the Atlantic Alliance, and to the sanctions and boycott of Russia in the manner that we have witnessed since February 24, 2022, and the related fabrication of successive crises in the economic field, and in the field of energy, natural resources and basic commodities, and even the use of the International Monetary Fund to obstruct the interests of a number of developing countries, including Sri Lanka and Pakistan, for example, not to mention unrealistically bringing sports, culture and youth exchange into the conflict, and manipulating international law instead of adhering to it as a guarantee of world stability.