On December 11 and 12, the 2024 Imperial Springs International Forum was held in Madrid, Spain. Co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the People's Government of Guangdong Province, and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, the forum centered on the theme "Collective Action for One Future". President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum. Hu Chunhua, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the opening ceremony, read out President Xi’s congratulatory letter, and delivered a speech. Yang Wanming, President of the CPAFFC, Danilo Türk, President of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid and former President of Slovenia (2007-2012), Diego Martínez Belío, State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, Esther Gil de Rebole?o, Third Vice-President of Spain's Congress of Deputies, Wang Xi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guangdong Provincial Committee, and Chairman of the Guangdong Overseas Friendship Association, and Chau Chak Wing, President of the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. Former political dignitaries from 40 countries, former heads of international organizations, and nearly 100 well-known Chinese and foreign experts, scholars, and businesspeople attended the forum.
At the forum's opening ceremony, Hu Chunhua emphasized that President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter highlighted the forum's crucial role over the past decade in enhancing global exchanges and understanding. The letter, he noted, serves as a guide for leveraging the forum as a platform to foster international consensus and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Hu underlined that amidst unprecedented changes in the global landscape, China remains a steadfast force for peace, stability, and progress. He reiterated China's commitment to advancing high-standard opening up and encouraged international visionaries to actively engage with the forum, deepen friendship, boost cooperation, and jointly contribute insights and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Yang Wanming stated that President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter underscores the significant importance China places on the forum. It provides essential guidance for promoting global dialogue and strengthening international cooperation. Hosting the forum in Europe for the first time symbolizes China and the EU's joint commitment to upholding multilateralism. Yang called for concrete actions to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, work together to address global challenges, defend and practice true multilateralism, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in the spirit of "shared responsibility as dwellers of the same planet", and contribute to world peace, stability, development, and prosperity.
Danilo Türk remarked that President Xi's letter demonstrates China's strong commitment to advancing international cooperation and practicing multilateralism. Amid challenging global circumstances, he called for the forum to shift its focus from challenges to actionable vision, transforming ideas into guides for future progress. He noted that China's unwavering commitment to broader openness and its high-quality economic development present valuable opportunities for addressing major global issues. Diego Martínez Belío stated that Madrid's selection as the forum's venue reflects the close cooperation between Spain and China, as well as between the EU and China. He expressed optimism that the forum would further strengthen EU-China and Spain-China relations. Faced with both traditional and non-traditional security threats, he called for addressing these challenges through cooperation rooted in the principles of the UN Charter. He emphasized the need for sustainable and inclusive economic growth, urging participants to discard biases and bolster dialogue and cooperation to address the pressing issues of global development. Esther Gil de Rebole?o highlighted the forum's focus on global governance as a response to multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She underscored the importance of tackling issues like climate change and other issues of common concern to the international community, encouraging participants to contribute actionable proposals that reflect a commitment to future generations.
Chau Chak Wing expressed that President Xi's congratulatory letter was a resounding endorsement of the forum's work over the past 10 years. He described it as both inspiring and motivating, committing to expanding the influence of the forum to strengthen international cooperation and contribute to global progress.
During the plenary discussion of the forum, which focused on the theme "Enhancing Global Cooperation: Shaping a Shared Future for Humankind", several distinguished speakers delivered insightful remarks. These included Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile (2006-2010, 2014-2018) and Vice President of the Club de Madrid; Aminata Touré, former Prime Minister of Senegal (2013-2014); Ismail Serageldin, former Vice President of the World Bank (1992-2000) and Co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC); and Siddharth Chatterjee, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China. They explored the practical importance of strengthening global solidarity and cooperation while advocating for the building a community with a shared future for mankind, offering diverse perspectives on this vital goal. At the six parallel sessions, Chinese and international participants engaged in robust discussions on a variety of pressing global issues. The topics included: Traditional and Non-traditional Challenges to Global Security; Tackling Challenges Facing the World Economy; United Nations Summit of the Future, the Future of Global Governance; Al & Green Technology for Progress and Development; Sustainable Development and the Second World Social Summit; and People-to-People Exchanges for Mutual Understanding. These sessions provided a platform for valuable recommendations and resulted in broad consensus on actionable pathways to address these global challenges effectively. In his concluding remarks at the forum's closing ceremony, Yang Wanming highlighted the in-depth exchanges and productive discussions that took place during the forum. Focusing on the theme "Collective Action for One Future", participants engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions, and shared insights from diverse perspectives, including global security, economy, finance, trade, digital economy, and ecological governance. All parties agreed that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. Countries should continue to build up common understandings, carry forward partnerships, abide bythe basic norms governing international relations as underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the international order based on international law, seize opportunities and meet challenges together through solidarity and cooperation, and pool strength for the joint building of a community with a shared future for mankind. At the forum's dinner, CPAFFC Vice President Shen Xin reflected on the association's seven decades of commitment to friendship, cooperation, peace, and development. He emphasized the original mission behind co-hosting the Imperial Springs International Forum: to serve as a platform for fairness, justice, mutual beneficial cooperation, inclusiveness, and mutual learning. Shen expressed hope for deepening collaboration with all co-hosts to contribute more effectively to global peace, stability, sustainable development, and the advancement of human civilization. On December 13, King Felipe VI of Spain hosted Chinese and international guests at the royal palace. The King welcomed Hu Chunhua and his delegation, commending the forum's vital role in enhancing mutual understanding and fostering international cooperation.
