On the morning of October 18, the 2015 EROPA Conference was held in Shanghai Administration Institute. Mr. KONG Changsheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and Ms ZHONG Yanqun, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress and Deputy Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group, were present and addressed the occasion. About 200 experts and scholars from 16 countries, including Japan, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, and the Philippines, as well as attendees from government departments, research and advisory institutes and colleges from China also attended the conference.

    Mr. KONG Changsheng pointed out in his speech that with a focus on good practices and theoretical frontiers of the administrative system reform taking place in Asia-Pacific countries, this conference was conducive to promoting the innovation and development of government management of Asia and even the whole world. He also pointed out that in the process of the reform, the Chinese government not only learned from and applied the advanced experiences of other countries in the promotion of fine management, but also continuously explored governing approaches and modes which conform to the nation’s own features. According to him, on the basis of mutual leaning, each country should seek a proper pattern of management suitable for itself.

Ms ZHONG Yanqun pointed out in her speech that as the frontier of China’s reform and opening up, Shanghai was promoting, in a stable and orderly manner, various reform tasks in accordance with those requirements and deployments of the central government. It was an urgent need for Shanghai to carry out, in a wider scope of regions, international academic exchanges of such a high caliber as EROPA Conference to discuss new actions and experiences of various countries and apply them to the practice related to reforms and constructions.

    Hosted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and organized by Chinese Academy of Personnel Science, Shanghai Administration Institute and Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, this conference aimed to strengthen the theoretical and practical exchanges on administrative reforms among EROPA member countries and to promote China’s influence in EROPA. The conference lasted for three days. Executive Vice President WANG Guoping attended the opening ceremony and made a speech. The closing ceremony was presided over by Vice President GUO Qingsong. As the total conference speaker, Professor HU Wei made a conclusion. LIU Zhongqi, JI Jiangming and others presided over sub-conferences and made speeches.

    It is learnt that EROPA, established in 1960, is a leading organization for Asia-Pacific countries to research and communicate public administration. China joined it and became a member country in 1989.