On March 17, 2025 (local time), Professor David Daokui Li—renowned professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Social Sciences, Director of the Academic Center for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking (ACCEPT) and Co-president of the Society for the Analysis of Government and Economics (SAGE)—was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the 2025 Clare Hall Tanner and Tanner Founder’s Lecture at the University of Cambridge. His lecture, titled “China’s World View and Implications for the Future of the World,” drew on his new English book, China’s World View. Using compelling photographs and narratives, Professor David Daokui Li vividly illustrated the intrinsic logic of China’s socio-economic system, outlined the fundamental principles guiding China’s approach to international affairs, and demonstrated the sustainability of China’s development. He also offered an insightful outlook on the prospect of a diversely developing future, calling on the international community—including Western nations—to embrace China’s development model and its underlying philosophies in order to seize the global opportunities arising from China’s progress.
The event was marked by a relaxed, friendly, and enthusiastic atmosphere. Approximately 200 distinguished guests attended the lecture, including the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, deans of various Cambridge colleges, Members of Parliament, senior officials from the British Foreign Office, former and prospective British ambassadors, Cambridge faculty and students, as well as prominent figures from across British society. A number of these guests also joined the dinner subsequently held at Clare College.
The Clare Hall Tanner and Tanner Founder’s Lecture is one of the world’s premier lecture series in the humanities and social sciences. Established in 1978 by American scholar Obert Clark Tanner at Clare College, Cambridge, it has evolved into a hallmark of academic excellence at leading global universities. An invitation to speak at this lecture is a highly prestigious honor and a testament to a scholar’s outstanding contributions in the fields of humanities and social sciences. Annually, the lecture is hosted by nine renowned institutions, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the University of California at Berkeley, Harvard University, the University of Michigan, Princeton University, Stanford University, the University of Utah, and Yale University.
