Valdai Club

On November 3, the Valdai Discussion Club hosted an online conference, titled “New Eurasian Multilateralism: The Response of China and Russia” within the framework of the Valdai Clubs cooperation with the Centre for Russia-China Strategic Interaction under the CITIC Foundation for Reform and Development Studies of China, dedicated to the prospects for the convergence of the multilateral integration projects of Russia and China. The moderator was Yaroslav Lissovolik, Programme Director of the Valdai Club.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Kong Dan, Director of the Centre for Sino-Russian Strategic Cooperation of the CITIC Foundation, described the current international situation. He noted that now the countries of the world are faced with a choice - to accept the injustice of a unipolar order, or to form a new, more just world order. Eurasia can serve as an example of the formation of such an order based on multilateral cooperation, as the  integration initiatives of Russia and China are actively being developed.

Against this background, Wang Xiangxue, Secretary General of the CITIC Foundation for the Study of Reforms and Development in China, has proposed the idea of ​​an inclusive new globalisation, which creates opportunities for all. Wang Yongli, Major General (Ret.), Former Deputy Commander of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, stressed the importance of the new Eurasian multilateralism in the context of ensuring international stability.

Alexei Voskressenski, Director of the Centre for Comprehensive Chinese Studies and Regional Projects at MGIMO University, turning to the topic of regionalism and trans-regionalism, devoted his speech to the relationship between the global world and regional projects and paid special attention to a specific phenomenon: the trans-regionalisation of international law. Wang Haiyun, Major General (Ret.), Former Military Attaché at the Chinese embassy in Moscow, focused on security problems. He stressed the need to develop cooperation amid increasingly difficult conditions: where Russia and China are surrounded by various blocs and alliances and are viewed as strategic enemies.

Andrey Panteleev, Head of the Economic Policy Strategies Section of the Macroeconomic Policy Department of the EEC, spoke about the prospects and possible options for the development of the Greater Eurasian Partnership. Li Ruogu, President of the Export-Import Bank of China (2005–2015), outlined a number of potential areas for cooperation between China and Russia, stressing that the two countries should support each other on issues such as WTO reforms. Yana Leksyutina, a St. Petersburg State University professor, in turn, raised the issue of difficulties with the integration projects, and the limits of integration on a regional scale. The results of the discussion were summed up by Viktor Sumsky, Director of the ASEAN Centre at MGIMO University, who stressed that a key factor in the development of cooperation in Eurasia should be a full-fledged Russian-Chinese partnership, not only in the economic sphere, but also in the sphere of security.