The 35th Plenary Meeting of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO was convened in Beijing on July 30. Vice Minister of Education and Commission Chair Ren Youqun attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

The meeting noted that this session was held at a critical time as 2026 marks the inaugural year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. It also noted that, during UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany’s May visit to China, President Xi Jinping provided essential guidance for advancing UNESCO-related work in China.

The meeting stressed the importance of implementing President Xi’s guidance and recognizing the significance of China–UNESCO cooperation. It called for deeper strategic collaboration with UNESCO, further implementation of the Four Global Initiatives, and joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

The meeting highlighted the need to better understand current opportunities and challenges, improve approaches to enhance China’s participation in global governance, and strengthen UNESCO-related work in support of China’s national development and rejuvenation goals.

Meeting participants included representatives from member institutions of the Commission, relevant departments and affiliated institutions of the Ministry of Education, and partner organizations. Representatives from the Commission’s vice-chair member institutions shared their views at the meeting, including those from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.