Shanghai Conference Reflects 'New Level' of Russian-Chinese Dialogue – Expert

The focus of the conference’s discussions was on how Moscow and Beijing can change the international order, Professor Timofei Bordachev, program director of the Valdai International Discussion Club, told Sputnik.

A Russian-Chinese scientific conference organized by the Valdai International Discussion Club and East China Normal University (ECNU) has wrapped up in Shanghai.

Titled "Crisis and Global Transformation: China and Russia Facing the Challenges of a Changing World Order," the two-day gathering hosted more than 40 representatives of academic circles from both countries.

"This became the first major scientific Chinese-Russian conference that has been held since the PRC reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic," Bordachev pointed out.

He noted that it was very important for the Valdai Club and the Russian expert community in general to hold such a conference to discuss Moscow­-Beijing relations and “fundamental upheavals” across the globe three years after the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

He underscored that the Chinese-Russian "expert dialogue has now reached a new level" because instead of talking about what needs to be done in the future and how bilateral ties should be improved, both sides are now discussing "where Moscow and Beijing can work together and act from common or extremely close positions."

“The focus of our discussion has completely changed, which is, of course, very important, for it positively affects the atmosphere of the debates,” Bordachev emphasized.

He added that the experts discussed four main topics at the Shanghai conference, including "the overall development of political relations between Russia and China."

The second theme pertained to globalization and regionalization, while the third was about mass communications in a modern-day world. The final was the strengthening of international cooperation in Eurasia, according to the Valdai Club program director.

"All these themes were united by one common reality: how China and Russia, each acting in its own national interests, are changing the international order, something our discussions boiled down to," Bordachev stressed

He noted that both sides made anti-American remarks during the discussions because, "after all, the US now remains the most conservative force in the world, which does not want any changes at all."

Separately, he gave kudos to "a very skilled team of Russian and Chinese experts, who attended the Shanghai conference, specialists whom we have known for many years."

The remarks come after Professor Andrey Bystritsky, chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support with the Valdai Club, touted the conference as "a very important step towards bringing the two countries closer." He underscored that the Shanghai gathering once again indicated that Russian-Chinese relations "have enormous potential."