The 14th World Socialism Forum opened in Beijing on Monday, organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 

Hundreds of participants from around the world have gathered for discussions around the theme "the current changes of the world, of our times and of history." In addition to the seminars and dialogues at the two-day forum, delegates will also visit east China's Fujian Province and southwest China's Guizhou Province for academic and cultural exchanges. 

"It's an important opportunity for us to listen to comments from people around the world about the importance of China's contribution to a shared future. It's a positive contribution to a peaceful world. It's an alternative to the warmongering West's continuing escalation of conflicts that most people aren't interested in," Andrew Irving, general secretary of the Communist Party of Australia, told CGTN.

"There are so many representatives from so many countries of the world. I'm from Germany, and I want to connect with representatives from all over the planet, especially the global south, the BRICS countries," said Stephan Ossenkopp, a researcher at the German think tank Schiller Institute.

"I think we need to address the current situation because the West cannot present solutions for the current crisis. I hope to have many discussions, see many new viewpoints. People in Germany, where I live, want to discuss these international issues with representatives of BRICS and global south countries," Ossenkopp said.

"We are here because we admire the Chinese path to the new era. And we are here to get as much information as we can regarding the development, policies and measures taken by the government, which it seems is very important for the people of China. It's a global example for us to follow," said Eleni Evagorou, the organizational secretary of the POGO Women Movement in Cyprus.