On the evening of October 18th, during the Tongzhou Global Development Forum (2024), Zhang Donggang, Secretary of  CPC Committee of RUC, met with Solly Mapaila, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party, and Dev Gurung, General Secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Centre), along with their delegation.

Zhang Donggang expressed his pleasure in meeting with General Secretary Mapaila and General Secretary Gurung in Tongzhou, Beijing, on the banks of the ancient Grand Canal, and to jointly participate in the forum. He highlighted that RUC serves as co-chair of the World Political Parties Think Tank Alliance. RUC has consistently promoted deeper engagement among political parties and organizations worldwide, expanding points of common ground in ideas and perspectives. Zhang emphasized the university's ongoing efforts to provide intellectual support for China's interaction in the global community. He expressed his hope that this forum would serve as an opportunity to establish a high-level dialogue platform for political, academic and business leaders from all across the world to discuss global development strategies. Topics of focus would include world peace and development, global modernization, and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of sharing experiences and offering China’s perspective to help political parties—especially those from developing countries—address challenges in governance and national development.

Solly Mapaila and Dev Gurung acknowledged the growing uncertainties facing global peace and development, emphasizing the escalating challenges of security, pollution, poverty, and climate change. They commended RUC for its prestigious reputation and fruitful academic results in important research areas. They expressed hope for deeper cooperation in academic exchanges, think tank development, and talents training in the future, working together to explore paths toward modernization. They believed that the forum would serve as a valuable platform for exchanging ideas and knowledge, injecting Chinese wisdom and approach into global peace, development, and prosperity.

Also in attendance were Primrose Nomarashia Caluza, Polit Bureau member of the 15 Central Committee of the SACP, and Provincial Secretary of SADTU, Sithembiso Bhengu, Director of the Chris Hani Institute and Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Sociology, and Qinge Letu, Deputy Secretary of CPC Committee of RUC.