CASS forum seeks in-depth cross-region collaboration

Sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, an international forum focusing on the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor and Northeast Asia Regional Cooperation was convened in Hohhot on Oct 13.

The forum hosted nearly 200 experts from China, Russia, Mongolia, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and Poland. Most of the key-note speeches were themed around cross-region collaboration.

Wang Lei, director of the CASS International Cooperation Bureau, mentioned that the construction of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor is a crucial component in promotion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which will help deepen cross-region trade and economy partnerships. 

The China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor has bearing on the development of Northeast Asian countries and even Eurasian ones, explained Xing Guangcheng, head of the CASS Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies. The research and suggestions from international social scientists will contribute to in-depth connections between the countries, added Xing.

IMUFE Chancellor Du Jinzhu introduced the university’s exchanges with Russia and Mongolia in academics and science. IMUFE will collect educational resources to cultivate professionals specializing in China-Mongolia trade and cooperation and focusing on Northeast economy. 

The building of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor is still faced with many problems needing to be fixed by involving more researchers in discussion, according to Hang Shuanzhu, president of the Inner Mongolia Social Science Association. Recently that association has been preparing to initiate a project on studying countries along the Belt and Road, and will publish a series of books based on its findings, claimed Hang.

The forum was separated into four units with 23 experts from different fields voicing their opinions in turn, including general assessments of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor, the Sino-Russia relationship under the trilateral corridor, and the cooperation between the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Mongolia.

Economic cooperation and infrastructure construction in the 21st century has a significant influence on China, Mongolia and Ural, said an expert from the Ural Branch of the Russia Academy of Sciences. 

“Mongolia has many similarities with Central Asian countries and could draw lessons from them in cooperating with China and their successful experience in involving the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” remarked Sun Zhuangzhi, deputy head of the CASS Sociology Department.

A professor from the National University of Mongolia gave a report concerning the trilateral partnerships in a new era. A Japanese expert from the Slavic Research Center of Hokkaido University expressed his views from the angle of economic interdependence resulting in qualitative transformations and new developments in the Sino-Russia relationship.

The forum was co-hosted by the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies attached to CASS, the Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics (IMUFE), the Inner Mongolia Social Science Association, and institutes studying China-Russia-Mongolia economic cooperation.

Some experts also emphasized that Inner Mongolia as a key link to trilateral trade and its business activities will contribute to further development of Northeast Asian and Eurasian economies. 

Experts discuss issues related to the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor and Northeast Asia Regional Cooperation in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Oct 13, 2017. [Photo/imufe.edu.cn]