On 16 April 2015, the international conference entitled “China-U.S. Cooperation in Global Security Affairs” is held in Washington, D.C., with the co-organizers being the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS), the National Committee on United States-China Relations (NCUSCR), the China Institute of the University of Alberta (CIUA) and the Center for Collaborative Studies of South China Sea at Nanjing University. Mr. Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States of America, delivers a keynote speech. Mr. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. secretary of state, extends his congratulations on the success of the conference and points out that China and the U.S. should join hands to meet the security challenges in the 21^st century. NISCSS President Wu Shicun makes welcome remarks.

      The delegates conduct an in-depth discussion around such subjects as maritime security in the Asia Pacific, cyber policy and security, climate change and energy policy as well as opportunities and challenges to China-U.S.cooperation in global security. There are over 100 attendees, including journalists from Chinese and foreign media and scholars from the U.S. Naval War College, the U.S.Center for Naval Analyses, the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Brookings Institution, Cornell University, George Washington University, Princeton University, the University of Virginia, the NISCSS, Tsinghua University, National Defence University PLA China, Nanjing University, Fudan University, the University of Central Lancashire and Taiwan's Academia Sinica.

      As Ambassador Cui Tiankai remarks, think-tank exchanges play an important role in promoting the healthy development of China-U.S. relations and it is the common goal and vision of both China and the U.S. to build a new type of relationship that is characterized by mutual respect, no confrontation, no conflict and win-win cooperation. China and the U.S. should join hands in coping with the growing global security issue in order to play a positive role in international efforts to address climate change, energy security and maritime security .

      As President Wu Shicun remarks, China-U.S.relationship has entered a new historical period. The two countries have never needed each other so much like today and have never been so subject to conflicts because of inadequate transparency or misjudgment. Think tanks and scholars play an important role in bilateral relationship and government's policy-making process. Therefore, their cooperation and exchange seem to be very important and urgent.