Local Insights: At the 13th Baku Global Forum, global participants look to China for new path of multilateralism and stability

Editor's Note: In an era of profound global shifts and increasingly complex regional dynamics, a proper understanding of the world must be rooted in "grounded experience" and localized insights. Global Times English edition, in collaboration with the Academy of International and Regional Communication Studies, Communication University of China, is proud to launch "Local Insights," an English-language column dedicated to original, field-based observations.We invite Chinese scholars and professionals who are studying, conducting exchanges, or working outside China, as well as international students and friends living and studying in China who are familiar with the social contexts of their home countries or third countries, to begin from first-hand field experience and engage with social, cultural, and contemporary issues beyond China. As the first article in the column, a Chinese think tank scholar shares her experience at the Baku Global Forum, highlighting the international community's longing for multilateralism and expectations for China's participation in global governance. The 13th Baku Global Forum held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from March 11 to 14, 2026 Photo: Courtesy of MiaoBefore I left for Baku, Azerbaijan, I was not sure what kind of conference I was heading into.Having worked in Track II diplomacy through the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) for several years, I have attended many international forums. Usually, even before departure, one can sense the likely mood of a meeting: who will come, what the tone will be, and whether the gathering will produce anything meaningful. This time, however, everything felt different.The 13th Baku Global Forum, held from March 11 to 14, under the theme "Bridging Divides in a Transforming World," was taking place at an unusually dangerous moment. The escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran had pushed regional tensions to a new level. Baku, in the South Caucasus, lies close to several geopolitical fa...