the_bridge_tank, auteur sur The Bridge Tank

Joël Ruet intervenes at the 2018 edition of the annual BOAO forum inaugurated by Xi Jinping and UNSG Antonio Guterres

Posted on 24 July 201827 July 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Joel Ruet of The Bridge Tank was invited to participate in the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 (the “Chinese Davos”) that was held between April 8 and 11 and was entitled “An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity”. The forum was inaugurated by the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres.

Xi Jinping announced that China would lower its import tariffs and introduced the first China International Import Expo, scheduled to take place in Shanghai in November 2018. He called it a demonstration of the Chinese will to open up the Chinese market. Xi also declared that China would strengthen its protection of intellectual property rights, which would play a strong role in “enhancing the competitiveness of the Chinese economy”. Finally, the Chinese president also encouraged technology exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises.

António Guterres underlined the numerous benefits which followed globalisation, but also warned against the ever-growing threat of climate change, always “moving faster than us”. Guterres reminded the audience that the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlined 17 sustainable goals in order to fight global warming. Guterres added that forums such as this one were key elements in the fight against climate change, as it encouraged productive discussions to find and develop solutions.

Joël Ruet also took part in a conference on the relation between China and India. Among the other keynote speakers of this event were Ratan Tata, former head of the Tata Group, and Chen Deming, former Chinese Minister of Commerce who took part in the negotiations for China’s WTO entry.

Joël Ruet speaks at the 20th edition of the Symi Symposium dedicated to ‘Harnessing globalization’

Posted on 5 July 201822 July 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Between the 1st and the 4h of July 2018, the 20th International Symi Symposium took place in Rhodes, Greece. Centered around George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece and current President of the Socialist International and organized by the Andreas Papandreou Foundation, the symposium gathers every year leading intellectuals, politicians, Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, diplomats, scientists, and activists to debate on current issues. Among the keynote speakers of this forum was Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

Joël Ruet intervened in a panel along with the former Bosnian Prime Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, who is also a member of the Club de Madrid.

T20/G20 Policy Brief : Innovative Green-Technology SMEs as an Opportunity to Promote Financial De-Risking

Posted on 1 June 20186 August 2020 by the_bridge_tank

By Joël Ruet(The Bridge Tank and CNRS-CEPN), Elena Verdolini(FEEM and CMCC), Céline Bak(CIGI and Analytica Advisors), Anbumozhi Venkatachalam(ERIA)

“We recommend that the G20 target innovative green-technology SMEs as an opportunity to promote financial de-risking while addressing Paris Agreement commitments and UN Sustainable Development Goals. This should be achieved by creating signals for private investors through: (1) a reporting system that can help monitor the scale-up of green-technology SMEs; (2) the use of public funds to signal innovative green-technology SMEs to investors; and (3) the inclusion of SMEs in the design of green finance platforms. By implementing these recommendations, the G20 will ensure that innovative, low- carbon SMEs become attractive, low(er)-risk investment opportunities for the private sector.” Read more …

The Bridge Tank signs a cooperation agreement with the BOAO Forum

Posted on 24 May 201822 July 2021 by the_bridge_tank

On the 23rd of May 2018, The Bridge Tank and the Boao Forum, often referred to as the “Chinese Davos”, signed a cooperation partnership. The Forum, chaired by the former United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, was represented by its Secretary General Li Baodong, former special envoy of Xi Jinping.

This partnership established a cooperation in the context of the Boao Forum’s globalisation, especially regarding events in partnership in Europe and Africa.

What to take away from this years’ African Think Tank Summit

Posted on 11 May 201822 July 2021 by the_bridge_tank

On the 9th and the 10th of May 2018, the African Think Tanks Summit, organized by the OCP policy Centre, took place in Rabat, Morocco, on the theme of “Deepening Expertise and Enhancing Sustainability: Insight into Contemporary Challenges Facing African Think Tanks”. Among the subjects discussed were the role of think tanks in driving the African diaspora and building an inclusive policy dialogue, as well as the role of the media and the press in propelling the African agendas. Our chairman Joël Ruet attended along with representants of over fifty think tanks.

Among the keynote speakers were the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Ambassador Director General of the Morocco Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) Mohamed Methqal, the Director of the OCP Policy Centre Karim El Aynaoui and the Moroccan Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Aziz Mekouar.

The Bridge Tank participates in the 2018 Horasis Global Meeting

Posted on 4 May 201820 December 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Between the 5th and the 8th of May 2018, the Horasis Global Meeting was held in Cascais, Portugal. It was inaugurated by its founder and chairman Frank Jürgen-Richter, former right-hand man of the creator of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab.

The Bridge Tank takes part every year in the Horasis Meeting, as well as in the Horasis China Meeting and the Horasis India Meeting. In 2018, the think tank was represented by Joël Ruet and a member of the Bridge Tank’s board, Pranjal Sharma, advisor at the Davos World Economic Forum and contributing editor to Business Standard & Business World.

One of the keynote speakers was Brice Lalonde, former French Minister of the Environment and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. He notably discussed with Rajendra K. Pachauri, former president of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Chairman of The Energy and Resources Institute. They were both speakers in a panel entitled: “Be Inspired – Tackling Climate Change”.

The Bridge Tank welcomes a delegation of the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges

Posted on 26 April 201814 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

In April 2018, The Bridge Tank was honoured to welcome a delegation of the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), China’s leading think tank, to our offices at the Palais Brongniart. The delegation was led by Zeng Peiyan, chairman of the CCIEE and Former Vice Premier of the State Council of China. The meeting between the two think tanks was followed a few days later by The Bridge Tank’s participation to the Boao Forum, of which the CCIEE is the official knowledge partner.

The Bridge Tank welcomes a delegation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Posted on 25 April 201826 September 2023 by the_bridge_tank

On April 23-24, 2018, The Bridge Tank welcomed a delegation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to the Palais Brongniart. The delegation was led by the Director General of the CAS’s Institute of Sustainable Development (CASISD), Pan Jiaofeng. The CAS was created in 1949 by then Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai and now gathers 106 research centres, 3 universities and over 50,000 academics and students.

A work session between the two institutions also gathered Brice Lalonde, former French Minister of Environment and former UN Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Coordinator of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, our board members Guillaume Henry and Raphaël Schoentgen, CTO of Engie, as well as Catherine Girard from Renault and the Chinese Embassy to France’s Minister Counsellor on technology.

Following the meeting, Joël Ruet, President of The Bridge Tank, and Pan Jiaofeng signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between their two organisations. CASISD is the official institute in charge of issuing long term national research strategic plans to the State Council of China.

Joël Ruet speaks on Africa and South-South cooperation at the 2018 Crans Montana Forum

Posted on 21 March 201827 July 2021 by the_bridge_tank

The 2018 Crans Montana Forum on Africa and South-South Cooperation took place in Dahkla, Morocco, between the 15th and the 20th of March, co-organized with the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and under the high patronage of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI. Among the speakers were Heads of State, Government members, representatives of regional and international organisations, members of parliaments and top businesses coming from Africa and worldwide, representing 162 countries in total.

Joël Ruet intervened in several panels, including one entitled “Silk Road in Africa & Asia-Africa Partnerships”. Fellow keynote speakers included Bah Fisher, vice-President of the ECOWAS Parliament, and Adam Thiam, former spokesperson of the African Union Commission’s President. Ruet also held discussions with Goodwill Zwelithini, King of the Zulus, former President of Mali Dioncounda Traore and former Prime Minister of Romania, Petre Roman.

Research Paper: One Belt One Road and the Reconfiguration of EU-China Relations

Posted on 1 March 20186 August 2020 by the_bridge_tank

At the 2017 Davos Economic Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the merits of globalization and called for more effective measures and structural reforms to establish equitable governance and build new growth models. The “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) initiative has been accelerated with the Chinese presidency of the G20 in 2016 and advocates more inclusive regional cooperation and offers ambitious plans to further tighten connections across the Eurasian and North African continents.

This paper highlights the reconfiguration of EU- China relations and explains the evolution of the trading flows between the two actors under the “One Belt One Road” initiative.

Click here to Download the research paper.