On September 29, the Valdai Club, together with the CITIC Foundation for Reform and Development Studies of China, hosted an expert discussion, titled “Prospects and main directions for the expansion of the BRICS and SCO”. Wang Xiangxuei, Deputy Secretary General of the CITIC Foundation for Reform and Development Studies of China; Wang Xiaoquan, Executive Director of the Center for Strategic Cooperation Between China and Russia at the CITIC Foundation for Reform and Development Studies of China; Ekaterina Arapova, Leading Research Fellow, Centre for Expertise on Sanctions Policy, Head of the Department of Academic Development, MGIMO, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Kirill Babaev, Acting Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of International Economic Relations of the Financial University Under the Government of the Russian Federation; Pavel Knyazev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sous-Sherpa of Russia in BRICS; Yaroslav Lissovolik, Programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club, participated. The discussion was moderated by Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.