Yan Xuetong Keynote Speaker

Yan Xuetong is one of China’s most influential voices in international relations. He serves as Honorary Dean of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University and Director of the Institute of International Studies, combining academic rigor with policy access. A founding editor of The Chinese Journal of International Politics, he now advises the journal’s editorial board, extending its global reach. Recognized among Foreign Policy’s “Top 100 Public Intellectuals” (2008), Yan bridges scholarship and statecraft with rare clarity.

An architect of “moral realism,” Yan integrates classical Chinese political thought with contemporary power politics to explain how leadership values shape the rise and decline of great powers. His books—Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power (2011) and Leadership and the Rise of Great Powers (2019)—have become touchstones for understanding China’s strategic worldview and the ethics of statecraft.

Yan is Secretary-General of the World Peace Forum hosted by Tsinghua University, a leading platform for international security dialogue. In 2025, the 13th Forum (July 2–4) convened global strategists and policymakers under the theme “Advancing Global Peace and Prosperity: Shared Responsibility, Benefit, and Achievement.” In 2024, the 12th Forum focused on “Improving Global Security Governance: Justice, Unity, and Cooperation.”

As a keynote speaker, Yan equips leaders with frameworks to stress-test assumptions, anticipate inflection points and translate geopolitics into actionable decisions. Organizations value his ability to decode Beijing’s strategic calculus, map scenarios for U.S.–China relations and assess risks in an emerging multipolar order. His recent engagements across Europe in 2025 reflect his international outlook and continued demand on the global stage.