Plaque Unveiling Ceremony for “City University of Macau-Charhar Center” was held at the Ho Yin Convention Centre on CityU Macau Taipa Campus on 21 July 2021. This marks the establishment of the first research branch of the Charhar Institute, an internationally renowned think tank focusing on foreign policy and international relations, in Hong Kong and Macao region, turning a new page in research conducted by think tanks in the area of public diplomacy, Liu Xianfa, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Han Fangming,  Vice Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee and Chairman of Charhar Institute, Hong Bo, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs, Director of The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Carlos Roberto Xavier, Head of Education Department, representative of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Lao Ngai Leong, Vice-President of the City University of Macau (CityU Macau) Foundation Trust Committee and Chairman of the Committee on Macao and Portuguese-Speaking Countries of the Charhar Institute, Sun Enguang, member of the CPPCC and Executive Chairman of the Committee on Macau and Portuguese-Speaking Countries of the Charhar Institute, Kevin Ho and Huang Shengxiong, respectively Executive Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee on Macao and Portuguese-Speaking Countries of the Charhar Institute, Wu Zaiquan and Yan Zexian, both a Chairman of the CityU Macau Council, and Rector Jun Liu attended and hosted the plaque unveiling ceremony.

Edmund Ho, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of CPPCC, sent a congratulatory letter which was read by Chairman Lao Ngai Leong at the ceremony. Mr Ho said he was glad to learn of the establishment of the City University of Macau-Charhar Center and hoped that the Charhar Institute and CityU Macau would work together to launch joint research projects and create a new platform for public diplomacy. He would be delighted to see the contributions made by the two parties to the development of the relations of Sino-Portuguese speaking countries by combining respective advantages.

Chairman Han Fangming pointed out in his speech that the establishment of the City University of Macau-Charhar Center had set a new cooperation model for cooperation between a Macao university and a first-class Mainland think tank and introduced an internationally influential think tank specializing in the Mainland diplomacy and international relations, filling a professional gap of Macao. He hoped that the establishment of the Center would provide an opportunity for universities in Macao to perform their special regional role, serve the country in its overall diplomatic strategy and the SAR government in its external relations, perform their unique role in the development of public diplomacy with respect to Portuguese speaking countries, contribute to the peaceful development of the country and the successful implementation of “One Country Two Systems” in Macao!

Rector Jun Liu said that the Charhar Institute was a renowned non-government Mainland think tank on diplomacy and international relations and adhering to the mission of “forward looking, influential and making progress through cooperation”, the Institute was committed to developing into an independent Mainland think tank with international influence. The think tank is already a core Mainland institution in research on public diplomacy, becoming a major force for promoting the development of public diplomacy theories and their practice in Mainland and for better development of social think tanks in international relations. The City University of Macau-Charhar Center will become an important think tank in public diplomacy. One of its focuses, “city diplomacy”, is a typical model of public diplomacy and is expected to form academic synergy with CityU Macau programs aimed at “disseminating Chinese culture” and “comprehensive urban governance (urban studies). This will serve the mid to long term goal of developing a new type of metropolitan universities effectively and respond to the SAR’s three core positioning of “One Center, One Platform, One Base”.

The City University of Macau-Charhar Center is the second center that Charhar Institute has set up at a university, the first being Yonsei University in Korea, and the first in Hong Kong and Macao region. It will be a boost for the international reputation of CityU Macau in related research areas.

Other guests who attended the plaque unveiling ceremony included: Un Kin Chong Head of Policy Research Department, Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, Chan Hong, President of Chinese Educators Association of Macau, Chen Wuneng, Chief Legal Consultant of Charhar Institute, Zhuang Xingchao, member of the National Council of the Charhar Institute, Wang Jiangyou, Deputy Secretary-General and Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Office of Charhar Institute, Liu Aping, Sun Yaozong, Xiao Jiaming and Ieng Weng Fat, respectively Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, Member and Researcher of the Committee on Macao and Portuguese-Speaking Countries of Charhar Institute, Kwan Yan Chi, Macau Shenzhen Economic and Cultural Promotion Association, Yip Wai Keung, Head of Administrative Office, Macau Development Strategy Research Centre, Wang Wei, Vice President and Chairman of the Executive Council, Macau Chinese Enterprises Association, Leong Sok Man, Vice President and Secretary General, Macau Union of Macau Scholars, Kwan Fung, Chairman of Executive Council, Macau Society of Social Sciences, Zhao Kuang, Vice Chairman of Executive Council, Macao Association for the Study of International Law and International Relations, Carlos Marreiros, Member of the CityU Macau Foundation Trust Committee, Vice Rectors Kong Fanqing and Zhou Wenlei, Consultant Mr Ip Peng Kin, Pro-Rectors Ip Kuai Peng, Cintia Chan, Robert Chan and Sean Li of the CityU Macau.