The main sectors of cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure development have to be transportation, industrial development and advanced technology, a Valdai Club expert believes.

       The alignment of the Northeast China Revitalization programme with the development of Russia’s Far East must become a priority of Russian-Chinese development cooperation, according to Li Xin, Director of the Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies, who talked to valdaiclub.com on the sidelines of the Chinese-Russian conference titled “China and Russia: Facing Challenges of Global Shifts,” conducted on April 4-5 by the Valdai Club together with the Center for Russian Studies at the East China Normal University.

       According to Li Xin, the main areas of cooperation in these programs must be transportation, manufacturing, and hi-tech. At the same time, China welcomes the participation of other countries in the implementation of these programs.

       “Economically, China is very closely connected to Korea and Japan. Russia would like Korea and Japan to also take part in the development of its Far East. And if we cooperate on this basis in the alignment of the two strategies, we can become the driver of development in Northeast Asia,” Xin told valdaiclub.com.

       A successful example of the alignment of similar initiatives is the cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, which is implementing the “Nurly Zhol” economic development programme.

       “The alignment of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with the Nurly Zhol project manifests itself in the fact that we signed a $23 billion industrial cooperation agreement. If this succeeds, it will be a good example for all countries interested in taking part in the creation of the Silk Road Economic Belt,” Xin concluded.

       Read summaries of all sessions of the Russian-Chinese conference

       Session 1. Transformation of the Political and Economic World Around Us: Opportunities and Threats for China and Russia

       Session 2. Potential for Relations in the China-Russia-US Triangle

       Session 3. Cybersecurity and the Cybersphere

       Session 4. Situational Dynamics in the “Shared Neighborhood” Countries around Russia and China

       Session 5. Energy Market Dynamics: Conclusions for Russia and China

       Session 6. Economic Cooperation as Essential Constituent of Comprehensive Sino-Russian Partnership

       Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.