On October 25, 2016, a workshop on the People-to-people diplomacy: theory and practice was co-hosted by Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) and SIIS.

Former vice mayor of Shanghai & Director-General of SPAFFC, Mr. Zhou Muyao, Ambassador Yu Hongjun, member of Foreign Affairs Committee of CPPCC, former Vice Minister of the International Department of Central Committee of CPC, and Prof. Yang Jian, SIIS Vice President gave opening remarks. Ms. Jing Ying, deputy director-general of SPAFFC delivered closing remarks.

More than 20 participants including official, scholars, and entrepreneurs from Beijing and Shanghai had a discussion on the transformation and innovation of people-to-people diplomacy with case studies. This workshop is aimed to explore new functions, institutions and diffusion of people-to-people diplomacy to make a combination of the theory and practice in the new era.