On November 25, The first forum of the Research Center for Overseas Chinese and Connecting Chinese and Foreign Civilizations was held in Wumashan Campus. Lei Rongsheng, director of THE GAS SOFT POWER RESEARCH CENTER (THE GAS), attended the forum. Wei Haisheng, member of the CPPCC National Committee and former vice president of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, Chen Shihai, Party secretary and chairman of the Fujian Federation of Overseas Chinese, Xiao Menggang, director of the Planning Office of the Fujian Federation of Social Sciences, Lai Hairong, Secretary of FPNU Party committee and other leaders attended and addressed the forum.
Distinguished guests including Yu Xiaoqiu, Researcher of Institute of Party History and Literature of CPC Central Committee, Shangguan Zijian, Director of Strategic Planning Office of Science Press, Pei Yucheng, Deputy Director of Culture and Education Office of United Front Work Department of Fujian Provincial Party Committee, Xu Guoxi, Director of Taiwan Strait News Center of Hong Kong Economic Herald, Tang Lin, Professor of University of International Business and Economics, Guo Jianbiao, Professor of Fujian Jiangxia University, and Zhang Li, our alumni and overseas Chinese leader, etc. attended the forum. And representatives of Guangming Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China News Service, Fujian Daily, Southeast Net and other medias attended the forum. More than 50 experts and scholars from Fuzhou University, Fujian Normal University, Wuyi University, Huaqiao University, Fuqing Huangbo Culture Promotion Association and other units participated in the forum.
Lai Hairong, Secretary of FPNU Party committee, delivered a welcoming speech. He pointed out that the forum aimed to bring together relevant experts and scholars in the field of overseas Chinese studies to jointly discuss the contribution of overseas Chinese in promoting Chinese modernization. He stressed that as the inheritors of Chinese culture and the bridge of Sino-foreign cultural exchanges, overseas Chinese bear the historical responsibility. The integration and exchange of Sino-foreign cultures have not only enriched the cultures of overseas Chinese, but also promoted the development of world cultures. The development of FPNU is inseparable from the care and help of the large number of overseas Chinese. In the future, FPNU will take the Research Center as a pivot for gathering relevant experts and scholars, exploring local characteristics of overseas Chinese affairs resources, building platforms for exchanges and cooperation involving overseas Chinese, gathering overseas Chinese strength, providing high-quality services for local and national work related to Chinese nationals overseas and united front work, especially making efforts for "exerting overseas Chinese strength, linking China and the international community, and promoting Chinese modernization".
Wei Haisheng pointed out that Fujian Province is the birthplace and practice place of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and is also a famous hometown of overseas Chinese. As the only university in Fujian province aiming to train vocational teachers, FPNU has given full play to the advantages of overseas Chinese hometown resources in recent years. With the courage to reform and innovate, its cause has been thriving, the moral education has yielded fruitful results, and the regional and international influence has been significantly enhanced. In order to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important remarks on overseas Chinese affairs and give full play to the important role of overseas Chinese in connecting Chinese and foreign ccivilizations, promoting cultural exchanges, and telling Chinese and Fujian stories well, FPNU established the Research Center. As the first academic forum held after the establishment of the Center, it is not only a summary of the achievements of the Center in the past year, but also a blueprint for the future development of FPNU and the Center. He hoped that the Center, based in Fujian, facing the whole country and going global, would vigorously strengthen the research on the history and culture of overseas Chinese, dig deeper into the heritage and connotation of overseas Chinese culture and spirit, strengthen the collection and collation of historical materials of overseas Chinese, carry out cultural exchanges and cooperation among overseas Chinese, and strive to develop its own characteristics, brand, popularity and influence. It will truly become an important base for overseas Chinese academic research and an important platform for relevant academic exchanges and cooperation.
Chen Shihai pointed out in his speech that Fujian is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese, featuring the large number of old overseas Chinese and active new overseas Chinese. Fujian's economy and opening up to the outside world is mainly driven by overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese businessmen. Fuqing City is typical of overseas Chinese culture, spirit of overseas Chinese, spirit of hard work, and courage to venture. The forum held in FPNU (Fuqing) is the most direct action to visit the hometown of overseas Chinese. He believed that the establishment of the Research Center by FPNU based on the advantages of overseas Chinese is a new practice and creation, which will provide a valuable platform to better implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important remarks on overseas Chinese affairs, and plays a positive role in promoting the integration of Chinese and foreign cultures by uniting the hearts of overseas Chinese, gathering overseas Chinese wisdom and exerting overseas Chinese strength. He hoped that FPNU could continue to expand and deepen the connotation of overseas Chinese affairs, produce high-level results, better serve the high-quality development of Fujian, and make special contributions to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the overall promotion of the national rejuvenation. He said that the Fujian Federation of Overseas Chinese, as a people’s organization of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives and overseas Chinese, will strengthen complementary cooperation with FPNU, and jointly make more efforts and greater contributions to the communication between overseas Chinese and foreign countries and the peoples of China and the world.
Xiao Menggang pointed out that the study of overseas Chinese is a dominant and characteristic discipline in Fujian province. In recent years, based on the characteristics and advantages of overseas Chinese, FPNU has set up the research center and launched the fund projects, which has effectively encouraged experts and scholars to study and interpret in this area. This academic forum is of great significance to continue to give full play to overseas Chinese strength to link China and the international community and promote Chinese modernization. He called for a thorough study of Xi’s cultural thoughts and emphasized the need to give play to the province’s unique geographical advantages and human resources in the study of Taiwan and overseas Chinese issues, and actively promote the study of Fujian with distinctive Fujian characteristics. He said that the provincial Social Science Planning Office will work with everyone to implement Xi’s cultural thoughts and advance the goal of building a strong province through social science by playing the role of social science fund projects in theoretical innovation, discipline construction and talent training for the cross-disciplinary development of overseas Chinese, thereby forming our own advantages.
Professor Zhang Guoxiong, former vice president of Wuyi University, and Professor Lai Zhengwei of Fujian Normal University delivered keynote reports respectively. Scholars and experts from Fuzhou University, Fujian Normal University, Huaqiao University, Wuyi University, Fuqing Huangbo Culture Promotion Association and representatives from the Research Center for Overseas Chinese and Connecting Chinese and Foreign Civilizations in FPNU also made speeches respectively. The speeches covered many aspects, such as the history and culture of overseas Chinese, overseas Chinese and human community with a shared future, overseas Chinese and cultural integration of Chinese and foreign cultures, the construction and development of overseas Chinese townships, field study on overseas Chinese, the impact of China and its policies on overseas Chinese, the Zhonghua Street and Fuqing people in Japan, and cross-cultural exchanges.
The forum also arranged panel discussions and tours to museums with local characteristics, putting in place a broad platform for participants to exchange, share research results, and look into the future of related fields.
Fujian is the origin and an important practice place of General Secretary Xi’s important exposition on overseas Chinese affairs. Based on the advantages of location, resources and talents, the Research Center has explored effective ways for building high-quality and specialized research institutions and think tanks. Experts and scholars from Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of International Relations, Xiamen University, Fujian Normal University, World Fujianese Youth Federation and other universities and institutions have joined to built up a well-structured scientific research team that is younger, better educated, and more professional. The successful holding of this forum marks an important step forward of the Center in the field of academic exchange. In the future, the Center will continue to deepen academic research, expand exchanges and cooperation, and make greater contributions to gathering the hearts of overseas Chinese, giving full play to the strength of overseas Chinese, promoting the integration and exchange of Chinese and foreign cultures, and promoting Chinese modernization.
China News Network, Southeast Network and other medias immediately reported the forum.
(Translated by Huang Jiayi
/Reviewed by Yu Dan)
