The Second World Conference on China Studies was held in Shanghai from 13 to 15 October 2025. Under the theme “Historical and Contemporary China: A Global Perspective”, approximately 500 experts from over 50 countries and regions gathered along the Huangpu River, engaging in in-depth discussions on five main areas: the continuity and innovation of Chinese civilization, modernization, multidisciplinary approaches to China studies, global China studies in the digital age, and the field’s future development.
During the conference, scholars emphasized that the mission of global China Studies extends beyond the study of China itself. Rather, it also serves as an important bridge for enhancing understanding and dialogue among different civilizations, thereby contributing to mutual learning and shared development.
This conference yielded fruitful outcomes, marking the entry of global China Studies into a new phase characterized by co-construction, shared benefits, and consensus building. For the first time, the Shanghai Initiative for Global Mutual Learning and Advancement of China Studies was released. Grounded in the concept of mutual learning among civilizations, the initiative calls on scholars worldwide to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, pool intellectual resources, and jointly respond to global challenges.
In parallel, the inaugural issue of the China Studies journal was unveiled, providing a dedicated academic platform and intellectual space for the discipline while forging new bridges for Sino-foreign scholarly exchange. The World China Studies Development Report, also released at the conference, systematically reviews the evolution of the field and demonstrates how Chinese scholarship has grown from local foundations toward global engagement with increasing confidence and responsibility.
World China Studies is a vital domain for promoting China’s fine traditional culture and building an autonomous Chinese knowledge system, serving as a significant window for China’s dialogue with the world. Chinese and international experts widely agreed that research in this field should view Chinese civilization as an organically unified living whole; deepen the interpretation of the Chinese path to modernization to present a true, multidimensional and comprehensive image of China; and actively implement the Global Civilization Initiative, so as to play a greater role in advancing exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
