On Apr. 7, the World Association for China Studies (WACS) convened a working meeting in Beijing. Zhao Rui, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and a member of the leading Party members’ group at CASS, and president of WACS, attended the meeting and delivered remarks.

Zhao emphasized that three priorities should guide efforts to further develop WACS. First, it is essential to earnestly study the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to the inaugural World Conference on China Studies, continuously enhance political awareness, and serve the overall national agenda. CASS is a political institution with research at the core of its work. WACS must uphold the “three consensuses” reached by CASS as a whole—running CASS well in accordance with the requirements raised by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, committing to serving General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, and regarding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the banner and soul of philosophy and social sciences for the new era—and integrate General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on philosophy and social sciences, as well as the spirit of his congratulatory letter, throughout the entire process of conducting China studies, thereby advancing the high-quality development of China studies with a stronger sense of mission and responsibility.

Second, WACS should build on CASS’s distinctive characteristics and leverage its unique strengths. As an academic organization, WACS should fully perform its role as a bridge and link, strengthen disciplinary development, and advance China studies with distinctive CASS characteristics.

Third, WACS should closely integrate its work with the overall framework of CASS’s international academic exchanges. As an international social organization, WACS should make full use of its platform to conduct more proactive, broader, and higher-quality global academic exchanges, and foster a shared academic community for China studies institutions and scholars both at home and abroad.

Newly appointed leaders of WACS, officials from relevant functional departments of CASS, representatives from the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the CASS Library, the Center for Promotion of Cultural Development at CASS, and WACS staff members attended the meeting.