Think tanks to focus on sustainable development

Experts from around the globe meet to discuss 'urgent and crucial' topics

A domestic think tank will release a study later this month on sustainable development and global governance, a former senior government official said.

The China Center for International Economic Exchanges, a government think tank, will host a two-day Global Think Tank Summit starting next Friday in Beijing. It will be the third time for the think tank to host the biennial summit.

This year's theme is "Global Sustainable Development: A New Path for the Post-2015 Period".

Wei Jianguo, former deputy commerce minister and vice-chairman of the CCIEE, said the summit will focus on China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Government officials, business executives and global major think tank experts will discuss effective development models amid a weak global recovery and a persistent slowdown of economic growth in China.

This year is the last year to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, which aim to reduce global poverty to half the level in 1990.

"It is unlikely we will see such common goals hereafter, pushing forward the world's sustainable development is becoming an urgent and crucial topic," said Wei.

A leader from the State Council will give a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, he said.

More than 50 representatives from five international organizations and 25 countries have confirmed that they will attend the summit, including the former president of the European Commission Romano Prodi and former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd.

During the summit, the CCIEE will release a joint declaration with major world think tanks to suggest measures to deal with poverty, climate change and the adjustment of the global governance structure.

Research findings on Chinese sustainable growth and urbanization will also be released at the meetings, according to the summit host.

The last summit in 2013 focused on global economic and political development challenges and new cooperation mechanisms.

Xu Chaoyou, director of the communications department of the CCIEE, said that the summit will also provide suggestions on China's development in the "new normal" era, as the GDP growth rate has slowed to about 7 percent from a double-digit pace and restructuring is deepening.

"We welcome foreign think tanks to share their ideas on how to shape the new growth model of China's economy," said Xu.