On the afternoon of March 14, the first meeting of "The Ambassador Forum" hosted by the Department of International Relations of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences was successfully held with more than 30 teachers and students from home and abroad participating. Michael Schaefer, German Ambassador to China, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech entitled "Where Is the Sino-EU Relations Heading for.

In the speech, Mr. Schaefer reviewed the 40-year development of the Sino-German bilateral relations in the fields of economy, politics and culture since the establishment of their diplomatic ties, as well as the achievements EU has made in the past half century. He showed confidence for EU in combating debt crisis and advancing European integration. He further stated that the European debt crisis equals neither the EU crisis nor the Euro crisis, and that by jointly implementing economic restructuring together with financial reform, the crisis could be overcomed. Concerning the development of Sino-EU relations, he called for a long-term perspective, given that the absence of geographic conflict has offered great advantage for a sound bilateral relationship. He also said that to better promote the future development of their relationship, China and Germany should include issues like human rights, energy and environmental protection which are becoming critical issues in dialogues and work to enhance communication and strengthen cooperation.

"The Ambassador Forum" is newly-launched by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences this year as an effort to promote academic exchanges. Ambassadors to China from different countries will be invited to deliver speeches and compare notes with teachers and students.