Sponsored by Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, American Friends Service Committee, Ningxia People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and co-sponsored by Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office and China Foundation for Peace and Development, the Fifth China-U.S. Civil Society Peace Forum was successfully held in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China from May 6 to 8. The main theme is “Dialogue for Understanding, Cooperation for Common Development---to Jointly Build New Type of Great Power Relations between China and the U.S.”

Li Wuwei, Vice-Chairman of the 11^th CPPCC National Committee and CPAPD Honorary Vice President; Li Jianhua, Secretary of the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Committee; Liu Hui, Governor of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; Mao Rubai, Chairman of the Committee on Environmental and Resources Protection of the 10^th National People’s Congress, Advisor to the CPAPD; Li Jinjun, Vice Minister, International Department, Central Committee of CPC, advisor to CPAPD and more than 60 experts from research institutions and universities in Beijing and Shanghai and U.S. think tanks, universities and American Friends Service Committee attended the Forum. On the morning of May 6, the opening ceremony was held and was chaired by Mao Rubai. Li Wuwei made the keynote speech, Li Jianhu and Lawrence Korb, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense, USA made welcoming speeches. In the evening, Li Wuwei met the U.S. experts and Qu Dongyu, Vice Governor of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, hosted a welcoming banquet. During the Forum, the Chinese and the U.S. experts extensively exchanged views and held thorough discussions on topics of “new strategic dynamics and security challenges”, “new great power relations between China and the U.S”, “the U.S. rebalancing and evolving American and Chinese engagement in East Asia”, “China-U.S. cooperation in Southeast Asia”. The Ningxia Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Ningxia Poverty Alleviation Department and the Ningxia Development and Reform Commission respectively introduced the religious and ethnic affairs, poverty alleviation works and the efforts to deal with challenge of the climate change in Ningxia. Before left Ningxia, the Chinese and the U.S. experts had a field visit to the Baijitan Sand-fixation Forest.