China Center for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS), established in August 2010, is a think tank affiliated to International Department of CPC Central Committee. It serves as Secretariat of Silk Road Think Tank Association (SRTA) and focuses on studies about world party politics and Belt and Road Initiative in particular. CCCWS advisors and researchers include influential foreign and Chinese political figures, scholars and experts. It has maintained close cooperation with major Chinese and foreign research institutions and universities.
In April 2015, CCCWS led to establish “Silk Road Think Tank Association” (SRTA) together with 177 Chinese and 140 foreign think tanks. SRTA has invited former Prime Minister of Greece and Honorary President of Socialist International George Papandreou, former President of Slovenia Danilo Turk, former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatko Lagumdzija, former Prime Minister of Egypt Essam Sharaf, former Prime Minister of France Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister of Iraq Ayad Allawi, former Prime Minister of Italy Massimo D’Alema, former Prime Minister and former Head of State of Madagascar Ratsirahonana Norbert Lala, former Prime Minister of Mongolia Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal, former Prime Minister of Tanzania Mizengo Pinda, former Speaker of the People’s Representative Council and Member of Presidential Advisory Council of Indonesia Agung Laksono and former President of Thailand Parliament Bhokin Bhalakula to form the SRTA International Advisory Board. SRTA focuses on researches, academic exchanges and people-to-people bond facilitation in eight sub-networks of Belt and Road Initiative: China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor, China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor, China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, Lancang-Mekong cooperation, Maritime Silk Road.
CCCWS, jointly with its foreign and Chinese SRTA members, holds events on Belt and Road Initiative and sends researchers to countries along the Belt and Road on field studies, so as to gain knowledge about developments of Belt and Road Initiative, deepen cooperation with foreign academia and pool consensus on jointly building Belt and Road Initiative.