The 2025 Imperial Springs International Forum is held in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, from December 1 to 3.
The 2025 Imperial Springs International Forum (ISIF) opened on December 2 in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, with global leaders urging deeper cooperation amid intensifying geopolitical fragmentation. This year's theme, "For Global Cooperation and Solidarity," reflects growing concerns over widening divisions and the weakening of multilateral mechanisms.
Around 200 participants from 30 countries attended the event, including 30 former heads of state, heads of government, and leaders of international organizations, as well as prominent scholars and business figures.
The discussions focused on seven core areas: global security amid uncertainty; recalibrating global governance; inclusiveness in a diverse world; artificial intelligence and its governance challenges; delivery of global public goods ahead of 2030 targets; dynamics of green and low-carbon development; and global economic trends amid escalating trade and tariff disputes.
Chau Chak Wing, founder of the forum and president of the Australia-China Friendship and Exchange Association, stated that ISIF was established to respond to the complexities of a rapidly evolving international landscape. "The greater the differences, the more we need dialogue; the greater the challenges, the more we need engagement," he said, identifying reform of global governance and the safeguarding of peace and development as core concerns shared by participants.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the forum's theme as "timely," stressing the need to rebuild trust and reduce estrangement. He argued that true progress requires collaboration, noting that only through joint action on sustainable development can both current and future generations be protected.
Danilo Türk, president of the World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid and former president of Slovenia, also emphasized the urgency of strengthening international cooperation. He said the world now requires a more comprehensive and coherent framework to address global challenges, warning that the search for new forms of cooperation "concerns every person on the planet."
Established in 2014, ISIF is jointly organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia-China Friendship and Exchange Association, the Guangdong provincial government, and the World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid.
Positioned as a high-level platform for constructive dialogue between China and the international community, the forum aims to facilitate substantive discussions on global security, economic development, and cultural exchange, with the goal of strengthening understanding and building consensus to advance both regional and global cooperation.
Reporter | Liu Xiaodi, Huang Yuhan (intern)
Photo | Pan Jiajun
Editor | Yuan Zixiang, James Campion, Shen He
