Source: CGTN    Published: 2023-11-19

Thought leaders from across the globe are gathering in Beijing on Saturday to discuss some of the world's biggest challenges. One of the main topics at the 2023 Tongzhou Global Development Forum so far, the meeting between the Chinese and US presidents this week. Participants say it could lead to stronger bilateral ties. You Yang brings us their views.

ADRIAN NASTASE, Former Prime Minister of Romania "In my opinion, the meeting between the two presidents is essential for reducing tensions between the two countries. And also on some very important dimensions which are climate change and artificial intelligence. Anyway, it is an important step, in my opinion, we can noticed this is a historical moment when history might change. In the sense of dialogue, in the sense of cooperation, at least on some vital interests of mankind. So we hope from this meeting, a green light, or a message could be sent to countries like Romania to develop even further."

BENJAMIN NORTON, Founder and Editor-in-Chief "Geopolitical Economy Report" "A lot of people in the United States agree I mean I certainly agree as an American that win-win cooperation should be the way that the world organizes the trade and investment patterns. It makes perfect sense why does one country have to benefit at the expense of another country why can they not both benefit. I think this is so important people-to-people ties and having more students and people working in cultural groups like a music and dance and film and all the these things that's so important because in the western media unfortunately the image of China is always negative it's always biased in many cases. It's false. Unfortunately on many people don't know what China is like. So in order to help encourage better relations it is important to have people-to-people ties because when people come to China and they see China with their own eyes, they can say WOW this is not at all like what the media says in fact people are very open there is so much popular participation in society. I would say in many ways people in China have more influence on government policy than even in the United States."

RADHIKA DESAI, Professor, Department of Political Studies, University of Manitoba "The whole purpose of the Chinese government is to invest in the development of its economy and the well-being of its people. And you only do that by developing your economy, making it more productive, more innovative, more capable of producing, more and more thing and that's what the Chinese have done. The summit between the two leaders have been very important and it is also good that they have agreed at least, start to discuss to increase people-to-people contacts and so on. That's a good thing. And President Xi was well received among American business leaders because at the end of the day they have relied on doing business with China for so many decades."