On Jan. 17, Li Youmei, First Vice President of Shanghai Academy, was invited to attend a symposium themed “Seeking a New Framework to Manage Bilateral Relations” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Establishment of US-China relations. The three-day symposium was organized by the Carter Center, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries & the Institute of American Studies, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. During the meeting, scholars from both countries held dialogues on Sino-US relations and bilateral exchanges and cooperation in higher education, youth, trade, investment, society, science and technology, and medical care.

 Li Youmei, First Vice President of Shanghai Academy

Professor Li Youmei participated in the first round of talks themed “The Impact of Values and Misperceptions on U.S.-China Relations”, and delivered a speech titled “Understanding Social Integration in China”. In her speech, she pointed out that over the past 40 years, the main experience of social integration in China can be understood from the perspectives of reform practitioners’ adjustment of social consensus, guidance of social expectations, and improvement of social confidence. This constitutes the understanding of how China maintains social solidarity to the greatest extent under the circumstance of coexistence of external pressure and internal tension of development, which also put forward new requirements for us to further understand the role of China’s internal social and cultural soil in a deep sense.

Dr. Xiang Feng from the Urban Social Governance Research Center participated in the event and exchanged views during the meeting with experts on the social culture and mutual understanding between China and the United States. More than 200 representatives from all walks of life from both countries attended this symposium.