Weekly News Collection

BELT AND ROAD
B&R academic publishing alliance launched
On Aug. 24, China Renmin University Press launched the Belt and Road (B&R) Academic Publishing Alliance. A total of 92 publishers, academic institutions and professional groups from 29 countries and regions have joined the alliance. The publishing alliance aims to embody the legacy of the ancient Silk Road, said Li Yongqiang, president of the press, adding that it will be a platform for alliance members to share resources, such as authors, translation services, marketing, copyright information and training. Wu Shangzhi, deputy director of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, suggested that the alliance should improve its operational mechanism while focusing on key issues of the B&R initiative. It should enhance cooperation within the alliance and forge it into a new think tank serving the B&R initiative, Wu said.

B&R ushers in new era for global cooperation
More than 30 scholars from universities and research institutes in China and abroad hailed economic achievements of the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative during a seminar at Northwest University on Aug. 26. Since its launch four years ago, more than 100 countries and international organizations have joined the B&R initiative, said Sun Jiuwen, vice-president of the Regional Science Association of China. B&R construction has promoted balanced regional development in China, and it has driven global economic growth by facilitating infrastructure cooperation and interconnectivity, Sun added. Bai Yongxiu, vice-chairman of the association, said it has strengthened cooperation on frontiers like artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and quantum computing while boosting the development of big data, cloud computing and smart cities. It has benefited a region that holds half of the world’s total population and accounts for 40 percent of global GDP.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Think tanks to play bigger role in exchanges with US
At a recent symposium hosted by the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, scholars said Chinese think tanks should play a stronger role in cultural exchanges between China and the United States. Diao Daming, an associate professor of international relations at Renmin University, pointed out that the number of bilateral student exchanges has increased rapidly in recent years, laying a solid foundation. City diplomacy has become a highlight, and cultural communication has had remarkable results. Huo Jianguo, former head of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, said Chinese think tanks should strengthen studies on grassroots society and meritocracy in the United States. Huang Renwei, a senior research fellow of the Chongyang institute, said it is also necessary for them to understand significant changes in the US social structure.

LAW
Strengthening legislation on general aviation
During a forum on Aug. 25 in Xi’an, more than 50 law experts and scholars said swift reforms are needed if legislation is to keep pace with changes in general aviation in China. The rapid expansion of the nation’s aviation sector has important implications for industrial production, agriculture, disaster response, environmental protection and transportation. Gao Yuanyang, director of the General Aviation Industry Research Center at Beihang University (Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), said that legislation will provide a guarantee for the development of the sector, which will better serve national economic growth. Yang Hui, a professor of law from the Civil Aviation University of China, suggested improving air traffic management, technical regulations and the safety-monitoring system while formulating standards and procedures for building general-purpose airports.