On April 22, the opening ceremony of the Pacific Forum 2008 was held in the New Century Hotel in Xuzhou. Mr. Jiang Yiren, a member of the national committee of CPPCC, Mr. Zhang Xiang, former vice minister of China s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Mr. Xu Genchu, director of National Strategy Research Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Mr. James A. Thomson, president of RAND Corp., Mr. Weng Shilie, former president of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Mr. Xie Shengwu, former president of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Mr. He Jianhua, chief-editor of Wenhui Daily, Mr. Li Rongqi, vice-mayor of Xuzhou Municipal Government, Mr. William H. Overholt, director of RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy of RAND Corp., Mr. Peter Jochimsen, president of Croatia University, Mr. Song Yonghua, vice president of University of Liverpool, Mr. James Bartis, expert for international energy and environment of RAND Corp., Mr. Luo Chengxuan, General Secretary of CPC of CUMT, Mr. Ge Shirong, president of CUMT, Mr. Liu Jiongtian, vice president of CUMT, and Mr. Chen Qingru, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering attended the ceremony.
After the ceremony, Mr. Weng Shilie and James A. Thomson delivered keynote speeches of China s Energy Status and its development and Our Challenges respectively. Following that, experts attending the forum further discussed on the topics of Energy Investment Strategy and Regional Cooperation , Energy-saving, Emission-reducing and Their Markets , Thinking on World and China s Energy , Development of Solar Energy, Photovoltaic Industry and Other New Energies and so on.
During the forum, CUMT s President Ge Shirong and vice presient Qin Yong made presentations titled China s Coal Energy and CUMT s Responsiblities and Coalbed Gas: A Great Potential Clean Energy in China respectively.
On April 23, Mr. James A. Thomson and Mr. William Overholt visited CUMT and delivered speeches to CUMT s teacher and students.