Preparations for 9th Hongqiao Int'l Economic Forum begin

A work meeting on the themes and topics of the 9th Hongqiao International Economic Forum was held in Beijing on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the preparations for the 9th edition of the annual event.

Held concurrently with China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, the forum has grown into a high-level dialogue platform for the international political, business, and academic communities, galvanizing global consensus on building an open global economy and a community with a shared future for humanity.

At the work meeting, scholars, experts and partner representatives exchanged views on a range of key issues, including upholding openness and inclusiveness, safeguarding the multilateral trading system, strengthening global governance cooperation, advancing international innovation cooperation, and accelerating the global green transition.

"Right now the world is completely uncertain of what direction is going. So the Hongqiao Forum is an opportunity for businesses around the world to have certainty, to have access to one of the largest markets in the world," said political commentator Einar Tangen, also a senior fellow of Centre for International Governance Innovation.

For the first time, the forum this year is opening an online public survey to solicit themes and topics from the broader public.

At last year's 8th Hongqiao International Economic Forum, representatives from 13 international organizations, eight Nobel laureates, nine academicians, senior government officials and executives from Fortune 500 companies participated in discussions. More than 20 outcomes were released, including World Openness Report 2025.

Preparations for 9th Hongqiao Int'l Economic Forum begin

Russia said on Tuesday that it had taken control of two more settlements from Ukraine, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported repelling Russian offensives on multiple fronts.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, its forces captured the key logistics hub of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, and the village of Novoyakovlivka in southeast of the city of Zaporizhzhia.

The Russian forces also carried out strikes on 154 targets using tactical aircraft, attack drones, missile forces and artillery, and these targets included Ukraine's energy infrastructure as well as storage and launch sites for long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said in a situation report that as of 08:00 Tuesday, it had carried out strikes on Russian drone control stations, multiple rocket launch systems and command posts over the past day.

The Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks in several directions, including Kupiansk and Lyman, the report said.

Furthermore, Ukraine's local authorities and the country's energy ministry said on Tuesday that the Russian forces launched air strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure from late Monday night to early Tuesday morning.

The attacks left dozens of people injured in Odesa city and Mykolaiv Oblast, and triggered power outages in multiple areas, the Ukrainian side said.

Russia captures two more settlements from Ukraine, while Ukraine repels Russian offensives on multiple fronts