On July 15, the World Council for Psychotherapy (WCP) held its council meeting at the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna, Austria. The meeting was attended by the president, vice presidents, and council members from 15 countries to review the work of the WCP and conduct a presidential election. Upon nomination by the founding president, Professor Alfred Pritz, the council unanimously elected Professor ZHAO Xudong, Vice President for China and the rest of East Asia, as new President of the WCP.

On the following day, Professor ZHAO Xudong commenced his official responsibilities and delivered the opening keynote address at the 10th World Psychotherapy Congress, a hybrid-format event that brought together delegates from over 70 countries, including approximately 1,500 on-site attendees. Professor ZHAO presented a concise overview of a century-long history of psychotherapy in China, highlighting its rapid progress since the reform and opening up, as well as its significant contributions to social governance and public well-being, which drew enthusiastic responses from attendees.

Currently, Professor ZHAO Xudong serves as the chief physician and professor at the School of Medicine and the School of Humanities and Liberal Arts at Tongji University, where he supervises doctoral students who specialize in psychiatry and philosophical psychology. He is a prominent expert in the fields of psychiatry and psychotherapy in China. Apart from serving as Honorary President of the Tongji University Affiliated Mental Health Center, Professor ZHAO serves on a number of distinguished expert committees, including the Expert Advisory Subcommittee of the Healthy China Initiative Promotion Committee, the National Health Commission's Expert Committee on Mental Health and Psychiatry, and the Ministry of Education's Student Mental Health Advisory Committee. Additionally, he serves as President of the World Council for Psychotherapy, President of the Asian Academy of Family Therapy, and Vice President of the Chinese Psychological Health Association. Professor ZHAO has received numerous prestigious awards, including the "National Award in Medical Science and Technology for Young and Middle-Aged Professionals," the "National May 1 Labor Medal," the "Young and Middle-Aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions" recognized by the Ministry of Health, and the "Sigmund Freud Award."

The World Council for Psychotherapy (WCP) is an international academic organization that is part of the United Nations' system of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The WCP was founded on June 25, 1995, in Zurich, Switzerland, and is currently headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The WCP has members from over 120 countries and organizes the World Congress for Psychotherapy every three years, attracting thousands of attendees. In July 1996, the inaugural summit issued the Vienna Declaration, setting the framework for psychotherapy's global expansion. The WCP aims to standardize global psychotherapy training and encourage the mobility of professionals within the field by awarding a World Certificate for Psychotherapy (WCPC) based on recognized training standards, and it collaborates with the City of Vienna to present the International Sigmund Freud Award for Psychotherapy, which has been instrumental in expanding the global psychotherapy profession and elevating professional standards.