China—aSilverLiningtothedread2020-StrategicandSecurityReview2020/2021,Beijing(PhotobyJiChunhong/GuangmingPicture)TheCOVID-19pandemichasacceleratedtheunprecedentedcentennialchanges.Regionalcooperationandfreetradeprogramsadvancedwhilethegamebetweenmajorpowersandregionalconflictsgoon.Thepreviousworld-oldstructurewasgraduallycollapsingwhilethenewonehasnotformedyet.Attheendof2020,theStrategicandSecurityReview2020/2021seminarwasheldinBeijing.Dozensofscholarsattended.“2020isayearthatgoesdowninhistory.Despitethevirusragingallovertheworld,theelectionsintheUS,theconstitutionalamendmentinRussia,andtheleadershiptransitioninJapanalltookplacein2020.Wealsohavewitnessedasignificanteconomicdownturn,theconflictbetweenArmeniaandAzerbaijan,andtheriseofpopulism.Thus,itisverydifficulttoaccuratelyinterprettheworldsituation,”saidYuanPeng,PresidentofChinaInstitutesofContemporaryInternationalRelations,attheopeningceremony.In2020,Chinasuccessfullycontainedthevirusandachievedoverallresumptionofworkandproduction.Inaddition,wehavelaunchedthe14thFive-YearPlanandtheLong-RangeObjectivesThroughtheYear2035.ZhuFeng,DirectoroftheInstituteofInternationalStudiesofNanjingUniversity,believesthattheoverallpatternofinternationalstrategicsecurityin2020hadthefollowingfeatures.First,thevirusposedagreatthreattopublichealththatwehavenotencounteredinacenturyandbecameaboosterformajorpowerrivalries.Second,thepandemicdisruptedthestabledevelopmentthatwehadmaintainedaftertheColdWar.Third,thepandemichinderedrelationsbetweencountries.HesaidthatnowChinaisatthecrossroadswherecontradictionsoverbroaderdistributionofglobalwealth,power,andinterestsconverge.Weneedtofigureouthowtoshapeamoreactive,morecharismaticinternationalimageforChina.YanXuetong,DeanoftheInstituteofInternationalRelations,TsinghuaUniversity,saidthatin2020,twotrendsoccurred.Oneisthatanti-globalizationhasrisen,andtheotheristhatthepandemichasbecomethemostsignificantfactorshapingtheglobalpattern,anditmightbecomeaconstantifitkeepsragingon.Hebelievesthatuncertaintywouldbethethemeof2021.ThepandemicimpactednotonlytheinternationalsituationbutalsotheWesternvaluesystem.ZhangJian,AssistantPresidentofChinaInstitutesofContemporaryInternationalRelations,saidattheseminarthattheWest'sso-calleduniversalvaluesdidnotguaranteeastableeconomyandsocietyinthepandemic.Itusedtobeforcefulandconvincingbecauseofthemilitary,economic,andtechnologicalstrengthoftheWesternworld.AstheoverallstrengthoftheWestdecreases,however,thevalsuesystemisalsobeingquestioned.ThisisalsothemainreasonwhypopulismisrisinginEuropeanandAmericansocieties.ContributedbyLiZengkui,GuangmingDailyreporterTranslatedbyRenMeiqi