A press conference is held on June 25 to brief the media about the agenda of the 9th World Peace Forum. Photo: Lu Yuanzhi/GT

With the theme of "International Security Cooperation in the Post-Pandemic Era: Upholding and Practicing Multilateralism," the 9th World Peace Forum will be held from July 2 to 4 at Tsinghua University in Beijing. 

The forum will involve various types of events, such as panels and plenaries, which will cover a wide range of topics including China-US relations in a new age, China-India relations: rebuilding mutual trust, and international counterterrorism cooperation amid great power competition. 

As of Friday, seven former foreign dignitaries, including the 8th secretary-general of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai and former Singaporean prime minister Goh Chok Tong, have confirmed to virtually participate in the forum. Heads or temporary heads of 58 foreign embassies in China will also attend the opening ceremony in person. Scholars from 106 countries are to take part in the discussion both online and offline.

Initiated in 2012, the World Peace Forum is organized by Tsinghua University with the coordination of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs. As the first high-level non-governmental international security forum in China, it aims to create a platform for global strategists and think-tankers to discuss international security issues and search for constructive solutions.