Invited by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Wim Kok, Founding President of the World Leadership Alliance and former Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Jorge Quiroga, Vice President of the World Leadership Alliance and former President of Bolivia; Danilo Turk, former President of Slovenia and Member of Club de Madrid; together with six other important guests visited the Imperial Springs International Summit on March 23, 2015.
The delegation was accompanied by Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Dr. Chau Chak Wing, Chairman of the KINGOLD Group and President of the Association of Australia China Friendship and Exchange.
Impressed by the professional design, beautiful environment, and sophisticated facilities of the Imperial Springs International Summit, guests from China and abroad suggested they were looking forward to hosting the official conference here next year.
Comments on the world-class design of the Imperial Springs International Summit like “So beautiful” and “Wonderful” were expressed during their visit to the conference center, hotel and KINGOLD Museum.
Guests were amazed by the elegant and unique architectural style, picturesque landscape, and sophisticated conference facilities, and took out their smartphones for photos everywhere they went. The Montgomery Club, built in the Han and Tang Dynasty style and featuring Chinese cultural elements, attracted many guests who took a photo there or even waited until the last minute to pose with the building with a thumbs-up gesture.
The large, comfortable red seats in the conference hall caught the attention of a few guests, who couldn’t resist sitting on them. The revolving table and chairs in the small meeting room also won the praise of guests, who sincerely hoped that the official conference of the World Leadership Alliance could be held at the Imperial Springs International Summit.
Such a beautiful environment and considerate service are really relaxing and inspiring for meetings and discussions. “It’s very rare to see such a great micro-environment and such complete equipment in a conference center anywhere in the world.” Danilo Turk, former President of Slovenia said, “The Imperial Springs International Summit is a great example of how traditional and modern elements can mix, and it is a perfect combination of the two”.
The delegation suggested that as an international platform for exchanges and cooperation, the development of the Imperial Springs International Summit was conducive to in-depth and pragmatic cooperation between China and other countries in the world, to enhance mutual understanding in trade and culture and to promote win-win cooperation and common prosperity.
Since the opening of the Imperial Springs International Summit in 2011, a series of high-level conferences have been held here, including the Australia China Friendship Forum on Economy and Trade, the Global Summit of SME Leaders, the Going to Latin America Forum, and the 2014 China–Australia Economic Forum. Distinguished guests attending these events have included Bill Clinton, former President of the United States; John Howard, former Prime Minister of Australia; and Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia.
A new member in the Imperial Springs International Summit Friendship Garden
The green mountain and clear water of the Imperial Springs International Summit was further enhanced by the addition of a new friendship tree, a symbol of long-lasting friendship between Chinese and foreign leaders. It was planted by delegates from the World Leadership Alliance; Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Dr. Chau Chak Wing, Chairman of the KINGOLD Group and President of the Association of Australia China Friendship and Exchange.
Dr. Chau Chak Wing remarked that it was a great pleasure to gather at the Imperial Springs International Summit. The thriving friendship garden witnessed the booming cooperation between China and other countries of the world. And the planting of a new friendship tree also indicated that an even broader platform for mutual understanding, communication, cooperation and friendship was being built.
“This is impressive”
“China is a big country, whose development in economy, politics, social undertaking and culture is influencing the world. That’s why we need to come here and learn more,” said Mr. Wim Kok, Founding President of the World Leadership Alliance and former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. What they saw at the Imperial Springs International Summit is the epitome of China’s development, and promoted the observation “This is impressive!”
Jorge Quiroga, Vice President of the Club de Madrid and former President of Bolivia, had high expectations for economic cooperation between China and the world. He suggested that China was not only a buyer of world commodities, but also a creditor country, which offered loans and bought goods from Latin Americas countries and was becoming an investor. “What we should do is to push this buyer to become an investor and partner, and learn from each other in economy and trade, culture and history.” Mr. Quiroga thought that the Asian Infrastructure Investment bank was very conducive to the development of Latin American countries, because compared to the developed countries in Europe and America which did not understand what challenges Latin American countries were facing, China, as a developing country itself, knew better of these challenges.
Backgrounder: World Leadership Alliance
Founded by Wim Kok, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, the World Leadership Alliance is an influential international organization comprising more than 100 former leaders from 70 countries and regions. The Alliance aims to promote world harmony through dialogues among governments, academic communities, businesses and civil societies, and to build bridges between countries to act together in the face of social and political challenges.