China-Russia cooperation driving force of new era

Editor's Note: At the "China and Russia: Joint Development and Modernization" International Symposium, organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development, and China Daily in Beijing on June 24, more than 10 experts from the two countries shared their views on bilateral relations, economic and technological cooperation, the connection between the Belt and Road Initiative and Eurasian Economic Union, as well as the situations in Europe and Asia. Following are excerpts from their speeches, reported by China Daily's Bu Yingna, Liu Yi and Luan Ruiying:

Valuable experience in economic planning

As major changes have taken place in the international governance system, conflicts among states over security issues have become increasingly acute. So countries should exchange views on new development models and establish flexible national regulatory mechanisms.

A country needs new and high technology to enhance its competitiveness. In this regard, China and Russia could deepen cooperation to jointly tackle developmental challenges, especially because economic planning is conducive to rapid economic development, in which China has valuable experience to share.

Yelena B. Lenchuk, director of the Institute of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences

Harmony between various civilizations

China's modernization goals are common prosperity, harmony between material and spiritual civilizations, compatible coexistence between humans and nature, and peaceful development.

Xin Xiangyang, secretary of the Party Committee and deputy director of the Academy of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Reliable partner in global market

Russia has tried to create economic buffers that allow the country to respond more flexibly to economic fluctuations. The high price of imported goods affects the lives of the people and restricts the healthy development of the Russian economy. Thanks to economic inertia, the world is stuck in a sort of stagflation even as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is easing, which requires further research from the academia to deal with. Russia has found a very reliable partner in the international market, and its cooperation with China is the trend of the times.

Alexander Dmitriyevich Nekipelov, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and director of Moscow School of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Innovation key to advancement

China is making efforts to achieve common prosperity, and as a result, the income gap in the country will continue to narrow in the near future. To accelerate that process, science and technology development needs to be accelerated. Breakthrough that can bring fundamental changes will be the key in the future, and science and technology will become the main variable to advance modernization.

Zhang Yi, director of the National Institute of Social Development, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Jointly find answers to vital questions

China's reform and opening-up have offered valuable experience for Russia. There is no standard answer to economic reform. China and Russia need to comprehensively consider the potential impacts on culture, investment, technology and other factors in the process of continuous reforms and changes, and jointly find answers to these questions.

Viktor Meerovich Polterovich, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and deputy director of Moscow School of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Economic theory with Chinese characteristics

China's reform and opening-up cannot be explained by Western economic theories, and need to be analyzed using an economic theory with Chinese characteristics-"Chinese Open Economics". This theory is derived from the more than 70 years of China's development experience, especially the practice of reform and opening-up in the last four decades. It mainly includes the fundamental policies of independence and self-reliance and their relation with opening up to the outside world, China's gradual trade liberalization, and other factors of economic development.

The theory emphasizes pluralistic balance and breaks through the theoretical paradigm of Western economics that depends on general equilibrium price analysis.

Pei Changhong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and former director of the Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Deepen understanding to achieve prosperity

The Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative are highly complementary. Thanks to the greater Eurasian partnership put forward by Russia, Beijing and Moscow have jointly fought against the COVID-19 pandemic, but they still need to increase interactions so they can play a bigger role in the development of other developing countries. Since they have years of development experience, China and Russia should support each other, deepen mutual understanding and achieve common prosperity.

Alexey Vladimirovich Kuznetsov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and director of the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences

CPPCC a key part of socialist democracy

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is an important part of socialist democracy and China's political life, a substantial part of the country's governance system and a key institutional arrangement with Chinese characteristics. With a broad social foundation, the CPPCC supervises the implementation of policies through various forms of researches and consultations, as well as puts forward countermeasures and suggestions to address different problems related to social and economic development. The CPPCC proposals have made great contributions to the development of the country's politics, economy and culture.

Liu Xianzhong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and director of the Department of Russian History and Culture of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Investment cooperation road map needed

We should not only focus on the macro integration of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative, but also consider connecting specific projects. For example, the BRICS countries once discussed how to work out a road map for investment cooperation, which is not yet fully ready. China and Russia need to work out the road map in a pragmatic way, with the aim of improving the living standards of the people in the two countries.

Boris Aronovich Kheyfets, researcher at the Center for Post-Soviet Studies of the Institute of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences

Community of shared future in innovation

As China-Russia relations enter a new era, it is particularly important to deepen bilateral cooperation in science, technology and innovation. China has made great progress in science and technology innovation, but some important problems remain, such as limited capacity in original innovation, low proportion of high-end scientific and technological output, and lack of self-reliance in core industrial technologies.

In addition, there is a long way to go for Russia to catch up with the most advanced research in terms of cutting-edge technologies. Therefore, China and Russia should leverage their respective strengths to explore a path of dual-engine-driven, integrated innovation, by improving the overarching design of the cooperation mechanism, and expanding cooperation in basic research.

In the future, China and Russia should build a community of shared future in science, technology and innovation cooperation, and, in light of the limitations, jointly propose solutions to major issues and challenges in the field of global technology innovation and development.

Gao Jixiang, deputy director of the Department of Russian Economics of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Cooperation even more important today

Given the various global challenges today, China-Russia cooperation has become even more important. In this period of economic transition, the world is undergoing a series of reforms. The process of integrating the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union is clear, and more cooperation in science and technology will be made.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

So it is hoped that the cooperation between the two countries can be further deepened. The Russian Academy of Sciences will continue to keep contributing to this process.

Mikhail Yurievich Golovnin, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and first deputy director of the Institute of Economics of Russian Academy of Sciences

Xu Ruodan and Wang Jing contributed to this article.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.