On February 28, 2017, the Council for Strategic Interaction between Russia and China officially started its work. The Council is established in the framework of Chinese Academy of Social Studies (CASS). It will become a think tank of a new type and will promote the bilateral and multilateral discussion of Russia-China cooperation in the format of the second track events.
On February 28, 2017, the Council for Strategic Interaction between Russia and China officially started its work. The Council is established in the framework of Chinese Academy of Social Studies (CASS). It will become a think tank of a new type and will promote the bilateral and multilateral discussion of Russia-China cooperation in the format of the second track events.
Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IFES RAS), CASS’s partner organizations took part in the Opening Ceremony.
Cai Fang, CASS Vice President, Jiang Yan, Deputy Director General of the Department for European-Central Asian Affairs of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrey Denisov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to China, RIAC Member, Sergey Luzyanin, Director of IFES RAS, RIAC Member, Li Yongquan,Director of the CASS Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, delivered welcoming speeches.
On the day of the opening ceremony the Council hosted the first expert discussion devoted to the possible impact of the new U.S. Administration on the Russia-China relations. Russia was represented by Sergey Luzyanin, Director of IFES RAS, RIAC Member, Vladimir Portyakov , Deputy Director of IFES RAS, and Liudmila Filippova, RIAC Program Manager for Asia Pacific. The leading experts of the CASS Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies Li Yongquan, Liu Fenghua and Cheng Yizun took part in the discussion from the Chinese side. Xue Fuqi, Director of Programs of the newly established Council moderated the meeting. The participants noted the high level of the discussion and agreed that there are several scenarios for Russia–U.S. ties development under the new administration, though none of them could significantly affect further strengthening of the Russia–China strategic interaction.
On the sidelines of the event, members of the Russian delegation Sergey Luzyanin and Liudmila Filippova took part in the meeting with Rashid Alimov, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Rashid Alimov pointed out that the SCO Secretariat has accumulated positive experience of cooperation with academic and analytical centres including RIAC and IFES RAS. Russian experts stated that both organizations will continue paying special attention to the regional security issues and SCO activities in this respect.
Russian delegation also visited the Institute for Social Development in Europe and Asia of the Development Research Centre of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China headed by Li Fenglin, former China’s Ambassador to Russia. Russian and Chinese experts exchanged opinions on a broad range of international relations issues and discussed prospects for further cooperation.
In addition, Russian delegation visited the CCTV-Russian TV Channel and gave detailed interviews and short comments on the EAEU–SREB co-development, construction of the bridge connecting Blagoveshchensk and Heihe, as well as Russia-China cooperation in sport.
On May 29–30, 2017, RIAC holds the Third International Conference “Russia and China: Taking on a New Quality of Bilateral Relations”. RIAC expects the event to become the next step in strengthening Russia-China dialogue and to provide necessary expert support for intergovernmental contacts.
The Council for Strategic Interaction between Russia and China officially started its work
