The Global Forum on Cities and Coronavirus”,organized by Latin American Academy of Social Sciences, the Municipality of Quito and the University of Ecuador,washeld on March 26, 2020. The forum was heldonline in the form of video conference. Six representatives from Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania were invitedto give speeches and carried out discussions at the forum. Over 200 other experts and scholars participated in the forum online.

Professor Liao Fan, a research fellow and the head of Department of Research Coordination and International Cooperation of CASS Institute of International Law,participatedin the forum as the representative from Asia and gave a speech entitled “Balance on the Wire: ‘War’ against Coronavirus” at the forum. In the speech he analyzed the impact of COVID-19 epidemic on the people’s work, education, life, even thinking mode, pointed out that the “war” against the epidemic involves the balance of different rights, interests and concerns, and suggested that governments should adopt such measures as establishing the thinking of “adequate security”, speeding up the construction of smart cities, and strengthening international cooperation in coping with this global epidemic.