On November 27, 2024, Henry Huiyao Wang, Founder & President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), made history as the first Chinese think tanker to address the Oxford Union, the world's prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. Since 1823, the Union has been promoting debate and discussion not just in Oxford University but across the globe.

During the event, he was also interviewed by Ebrahim Osman-Mowafy, President of the Oxford Union.

This is the full transcript of Wang Huiyao's address, interview, and Q&A at the Oxford Union.

Address

President and members of the Oxford Union Society, ladies and gentlemen, good evening! It's a great honor for me to be here at the prestigious Oxford Union Society.

Upon arriving at Oxford, Great Britain, I remember Charles Dickens famously wrote, "It's the best of time. It's the worst of time," in A Tale of Two Cities. Today, his words resonate as we face a world defined by dualities.

On the one hand, we are living in an era of unprecedented advancements. The global economy has expanded many times, technological innovations are reshaping every facet of our lives, and cross-cultural exchanges have created a tightly linked “global village.”

On the other hand, we are also threatened by immense global challenges. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict between Israel and Palestine have destabilized entire regions and raised fears of a possible risk of the Third World War. Meanwhile, climate change is having unprecedented catastrophic consequences, from devastating wildfires to rising sea levels. Global pandemics, like COVID-19, have also exposed vulnerabilities in our public health systems. Additionally, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) poses ethical and economic dilemmas, while developing countries face mounting debt issues.

At this critical moment and crossroads, we need to work together for a better future. Collaboration between major global powers like China, the United States, and Europe with Global South is not only urgent but also a must. Oxford Union platform is a famous platform to discuss these burning issues. I'm truly honoured to be here and speak on some of my personal opinions tonight.

Allow me first to share my personal journey, which explains why I'm so keen on globalization and building bridges.

I was born in Chengdu, the bustling capital of Sichuan Province, home of China’s famous pandas and known for its rich culture and delicious Sichuan cuisine. But for the last 45 years, I have witnessed firsthand China's development through its reform and opening up process.

At the age of 17, like many young people of my generation, I was sent to a rural village as part of the “down to the countryside” movement. Those years living in a simple thatched hut and working alongside farmers were incredibly challenging, but deeply formative. There was no electricity, running water, or enough food. We had to rely on wells for our drinking water. And it's so cold in the wintertime. I had to drink hot water with chilies, which was my way of keeping myself warm. Life was harsher than I could have imagined during the Cultural Revolution era. You can't keep your body and soul together. There's only work, from dust to dawn. My daily income was just 20 Chinese “cents”, which was equivalent to about three U.S. cents. From this, you can see how China has progressed so far. It was a very difficult time for me, but I treasured a small radio that connected me to the outside world, offering glimpses of hope and knowledge amidst the hardship.

In the winter of 1977, the loudspeaker of the village broadcast a message, "The government is going to reinstate the University Entrance Exam," which had been suspended for a decade during the Cultural Revolution. I heard that news and immediately jumped on that opportunity by using my radio to study English with "Follow Me." This transformation brought by Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening up policy initiated my embracement of globalization. It not only opened China to the world but also reshaped my future.

the first round of exams saw 6 million candidates accumulated during the ten years of Cultural Revolution competing for just 250,000 spots—a daunting 1:25 acceptance ratio for the university. I'm fortunate to get my bachelor degree in English and American literature, which became the foundation for my later involvement in international affairs, opening the door to a world of opportunities.

After my first degree, I served in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing in the early 80s. Later on, I got a chance to pursue my MBA studies in Canada. I was one of the first MBA students from China to study in Canada. Then, I pursued my PhD studies at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Manchester here, in the United Kingdom. I also became a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Seeing the world with my own eyes was different from my previous experience in China. These learning experiences have helped me look at this world more objectively. I regard myself as an example of China's reform and opening up who greatly benefit from that.

After my studies in Canada, I worked for one of the largest multinational companies in Canada, SNC-Lavalin. Later, I went through several rounds of competition and got appointed as a Chief Trade Representative for the Quebec Government Office in Hong Kong and Greater China. Those years also mean a big transformation for China, with the world keeping its eyes on China. After coming back to China, I started a company and became a returnee entrepreneur for years. At the time, one of the most important things is how to get the entrepreneurial spirit into China. Afterward, I went back to academic life, teaching as an adjunct professor at Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, where I taught international management.

When I was young, my parents told me, "You have to read 10,000 books and travel 10,000 miles," which has profoundly influenced my outlook on the world. As they worked as engineers on China's vast railway network, they often took me on their travels to many places. Those experiences cultivated my fascination with the world beyond China. My father went to Tanzania and Zambia to build the first China-African Railway. Enormous influence on me. My mother's grandfather's grandfather was the dean of Yuelu Academy in Hunan Province, which has a thousand years of educational history.

After my entrepreneurial and academic careers, I was thinking about what future development would allow me to combine my experiences in government, business and academia. Creating a Chinese global think tank came to my mind.

I co-founded the Center for China & Globalization (CCG) with Dr. Mable Miao in 2008. That's when China held the Summer Olympics Games. I remember its slogan was "One World, One Dream," which symbolizes globalization. This has inspired me to found a non-governmental think tank in China focused on globalization. But at that time, a lot of people felt suspicious, "Why do you call your think tank globalization? Globalization means Westernization and Americanization. You can't call it globalization. Globalization is a double-edged sword. You can just call it economic globalization." But we pushed ahead, holding forums and publishing a lot of books. We established CCG with the mission of building bridges and fostering connections between China and the outside world. Guided by our newly found motto, “Global vision for China, Chinese wisdom for the world,” we have continually worked to serve as a global connector, bridge builder and cross-cultural adapter in promoting mutual understanding and collaboration between China and the rest of the world.

CCG has become a new phenomenon in China and become one of the most productive think tanks in China. I'm very pleased to say that CCG has achieved impressive progress over the last 17 years. CCG continued to grow and develop, conducting in-depth research on key aspects of China’s globalization issues, while also providing suggestions to policymakers both in China and abroad. As a non-governmental organization, CCG is the only think tank in China that has been granted special consultative status by the United Nations. For many years in a row, CCG has been ranked among the world's top 100 think tanks and the top 50 best independent think tanks in the world by the Global Go To Think Tank Index published by the University of Pennsylvania Think Tank and Civil Society Program.

Particularly, CCG played an important role during the pandemic. It was the first Chinese think tank that communicated with the world. We went to six countries in about a month and engaged with different global communities and government officials, bridging the gap between China and the outside world. Since the pandemic broke out, I have personally hosted CCG Global dialogues with nearly 100 top prominent global thought leaders, including Jim O'Neill, Martin Wolf, Thomas Friedman, Graham Allison, Lawrence Summers, Joseph Nye, Ray Dalio, Arancha Gonzalez, Pascal Lamy, Niel Furgson and many more. You can access related videos on YouTube and our website. In the UK I talked with Martin Wolf for two hours. The videos of our dialogue have been viewed about two million times. I talked to Jim O'Neal, who invented the term BRICs, and Neil Ferguson, a British Professor. When I talked to Larry Summers, he said, "Look, Henry, China has lifted 800 million people out of property. This achievement is comparable to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain. I also talked to Pascal Lamy, who was the former Director-General of the WTO. He said, "Trade is so vital. Globalization will not stop."

We have published more than 100 books in English and Chinese on global issues, as well as multiple research reports. This has been greatly appreciated by many people at home and abroad. A global think tank in China can play such an important role. We have three English newsletters, Pekingnology, the East is Read and CCG Update, which reach 30,000 elite subscribers from different government agencies, multinational news agencies and think tanks worldwide. It's of great significance to keep the dialogues and windows open between China and the world.

Over the course of 16 years, CCG has provided support to government policymakers on domestic and global issues with proposals and recommendations. Many of these have been acted on by different levels of governments. Over the years, CCG has hosted many high-profile forums that have become known for their international impact with thousands of participants from China and abroad. CCG also frequently partners with prestigious global forums, such as the Munich Security Conference, the Paris Peace Forum, the Athens Democracy Forum, the Doha Forum, the Bled Strategic Forum and the Boao Forum to promote more balanced and constructive dialogues.

CCG also hosted many incoming visits of foreign ministers of different countries to present Chinese think tank views. This year, we are also proud to have begun hosting regular international ambassador roundtable luncheons in Beijing that have received positive feedback and generated meaningful dialogue with over 50 foreign ambassadors in Beijing. CCG has been building a hub for international exchanges between China and the world.

Today, as we gather in such august and historical surroundings here in Oxford, I would like to present three concrete proposals in my role as a think tanker and witness to China’s unique experiences:

Firstly, I propose a UN Peace Summit to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

I'm very glad to see that President-Elect Trump has announced within 24 hours of his election that he's going to end the war for Ukraine. China is also ready to help with this process. With a proposal of a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine. Similarly, China and Brazil have jointly proposed the 6-point peace plan for Ukraine. China along with Brazil and South Africa has formed a "Friends of Peace" initiative for Ukraine.

China’s role as a mediator is becoming increasingly significant. Its economic influence and diplomatic ties allow it to foster dialogue where other nations might struggle. For example, China is the largest trading partner of both Russia and Ukraine. This dual connection provides China with unmatched economic leverage, enabling it to act as a neutral intermediary. China could participate in post-war reconstruction efforts for both Ukraine.

China has one of the biggest peacekeeping forces among the P5 countries of the UN. China’s recent diplomatic successes, such as brokering the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, demonstrate its capability. Leveraging its position as the largest oil importer of both nations, China facilitated a groundbreaking reconciliation. China recently gathered 14 Palestinian factions in Beijing, contributing to the signing of the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity. China could also inspire North Korea to join China-Japan-South Korea trilateral talks and even encourage its participation in regional frameworks like RCEP and CPTPP.

I regard peace as the most important issue in our time. We have to work together, China, the U.S., the EU, the UK and Global South. We have to prevent the Third World War. We have to keep the world at peace. As early as March 2022, when the war just broke out, I already published an Op-Ed in the New York Times to call for a Seven Parties Talks, P5 countries plus EU and Ukraine. It's urgent to make peace for Ukraine and the region. So that's my first proposal—everybody working together to have a UN Peace Summit.

My second proposal is to confront our shared challenge, climate change.

A heavy flood happened a few weeks ago in Spain, resulting in serious fatalities. Last year was the hottest year on record. We are witnessing the dire consequences of climate change. We need to work together. We have to follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement and work on that.

A decade ago, Beijing was enveloped in a dense shroud of smog, painting a grim tableau reminiscent of the soot-laden streets of 19th-century London described by Charles Dickens in Oliver Twist. The air was thick with pollutants, obscuring skyscrapers and casting a grey pall over daily life. At that time, the U.S. embassy installed a pollution monitoring device on its roof and began publishing daily PM2.5 air quality data, highlighting the dire urgency of confronting the pollution crisis—especially since nearly half of it stemmed from the emissions of vehicles that clogged the city's arteries. This alarming situation sparked a sweeping awakening among the Chinese public about the vital importance of environmental protection.

Now 60% of the pollution in Beijing is caused by car emissions from combustion. That's why China started to develop EV cars. And now China is the largest producer of EV cars. China quickly turned around. China has achieved significant advancements in renewable energy, now producing 90% of the world’s solar panels. China is leading the green power transition, which requires all countries to work together. There are doubts from other countries pointing out the overcapacity and oversupply in China. Yet according to the International Energy Agency, global demand for new photovoltaic installations will reach 820 gigawatts, about four times that of 2022, if the goal set by the Paris Agreement is met. The world has to invest $4.5 trillion per year in clean energy investment, while the global clean energy spending was only $1.8 trillion in 2023. It's far from oversupply or over capacity. Let's set aside the differences and work on those things. I'm glad that the UK does not levy the EV car tariffs on China.

Here's an interesting anecdote: Many years ago, U.S. President Reagan asked Soviet leader Gorbachev, "If aliens were to attack the United States, would the Soviet Union come to our aid?" Gorbachev replied, "Yes." Then Gorbachev posed the same question: "If aliens attacked the Soviet Union, would the United States come to our aid?" Reagan also answered, "Yes." Today, the "alien" we all face is climate change—a threat to all of humanity that demands our collective effort and cooperation to overcome. There's no reason for us to separate when facing these common challenges. I'd like to emphasize that climate change is the biggest threat. It is our common enemy. We have set aside our differences to work together and fight against it. So I propose let’s have a G10 Summit annually, gathering the 10 largest carbon emission countries together to concentrate on global solutions in fighting climate change.

The last proposal is about artificial intelligence, a double-edged sword requiring global governance.

We know artificial intelligence is a term that you can't avoid anywhere now. It's everywhere in our daily life. And I'm glad that the UK has taken some leadership. Two years ago, the inaugural Global AI Summit in London underscored the urgency of addressing artificial intelligence as both an opportunity and a challenge, with China actively contributing to discussions. As the two biggest AI countries, if the U.S. and China go separate, if they don't work with each other, that'll be a huge challenge. We could face threats from AI in the foreseeable future.

In June this year, the German Ambassador Patricia Flor and the French Ambassador Bertrand Lortholary contacted me, "Henry, why can't we do something together? Let's have a seminar about AI at CCG!" Therefore, I cohosted a seminar in June 2024 with German Ambassador Patricia Flor and French Ambassador Bertrand Lortholary to highlight the ongoing urgency surrounding AI governance and regulation.

European countries can make a huge contribution to mitigating concerns around AI, by setting new regulations and mediating between China and the U.S. on AI issues.

I'll go back to Beijing at the end of this week and start preparing for the tenth China Global Think Tank Innovation Forum. I invited the French Ambassador. We'll have a section on AI. You know, France will host the AI Action Summit in February 2025. These issues require international cooperation.

Ladies and gentlemen.

As we navigate an era of both great promise and immense challenges, it is clear that global cooperation is no longer optional—it is essential. Regardless of whether we are addressing geopolitical conflicts, combating climate change, or shaping the digital economy, the shared responsibility of major powers—China, the United States, and Europe—will define the future of our interconnected world. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how vulnerable human beings can be without mutual support. The world has so many burning issues going on that need major powers to work together.

History has shown us that when nations work together, they can overcome even the most daunting obstacles. By fostering dialogue, promoting mutual understanding, and leveraging our collective strengths, we can build a more peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous global community.

History has shown us that when nations work together, they can overcome even the most daunting obstacles. By fostering dialogue, promoting mutual understanding, and leveraging our collective strengths, we can build a more peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous global community. Thus, I also sincerely hope the prestigious Oxford Union Society can provide a platform for dialogues between countries.

Let us move forward with a shared vision and a commitment to collaboration, ensuring that the challenges of today become the opportunities of tomorrow. Together, I am confident that we can safeguard global peace and stability for generations to come.

Thank you.

Interview

Q & A