NewsVoice’s founder and editor-in-chief, Torbjörn Sassersson, visited the prestigious Chinese think tank Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS). The visit took place during a seven-day tour of the country and as part of a Swedish media delegation, at the invitation of the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm.
Mr. Li Kaisheng, PhD, the think tank’s Vice President, hosted the meeting. Professor Wang Gonglong’s historical and contemporary explanation of Chinese-style modernization and its significance in the world was the highlight. Senior Research Fellow Mr. Jin Liangxiang, PhD, amongst others.
Editor Torbjörn Sassersson comments on the meeting and NewsVoice’s future endeavours:
”We had a round-table discussion on various subjects, such as how Western media operates and how independent media like NewsVoice can function as a bridge between the people of Sweden and China.
I know that independent media can make a difference since we are free of geopolitical agendas. We are free to pursue the truths and facts about China and other countries, facts that seem to have difficulty reaching the public domain in the West. I think this is an important job for us as independent journalists. This kind of work is very gratifying”.
SIIS published their own article about the meeting on November 30, where the institute mentions some of their talking points.
What is the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies?
The Shanghai Institutes for International Studies sees a steady stream of foreign visitors and delegations and has previously welcomed, among others, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell. See list of visitors.
The SIIS Institute, founded in 1960, is a government-affiliated think tank that advises government decision-making and aims to bolster mutual understanding between China and the international community.
Other think tanks, research organizations, and institutions of higher education in China and around the world are speaking partners to SIIS. According to its homepage, SIIS has been ranked as one of the most influential think tanks in international studies and foreign policy in China for years.
SIIS comprises six institutes and six research centres and has established eight in-house research platforms. To strengthen Chinese think tanks’ international standing, SIIS has launched the Centre for International Communications. SIIS publishes The Global Review and China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies.