Program of the Conference «Belt and Road Initiative: A New Pillar in the Russia-China Partnership» Jointly Organized by the Valdai Discussion Club and the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA)

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On September 18, the Valdai Discussion Club and China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA) will hold a joint conference, titled "Belt and Road Initiative: A New Pillar in Russia-China Partnership.”

13:30 – 14:00 Registration

14:00 – 14:05 Welcoming remarks

• BYSTRITSKIY Andrey, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
• HU Zhengyue, Vice President, CPDA

14:05 – 15:30 Session 1. The Belt and Road Initiative as a boon to Russia-China economic cooperation

Where does Russia stand on the China-led Belt and Road Initiative? What are the sectors of both economies that would benefit from the Initiative? What does increased cooperation with China mean for Russia-led integration projects in Eurasia?

Speakers:

• BORDACHEV Timofey, Programme Director, Valdai Club Foundation
• AFONTSEV Sergey, Head of the Economic Theory Department at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations
• ZHANG Xiyun, Former Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine
• RUAN Zongze, Executive Vice President of China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)

15:30 – 15:45 Coffee break

15:45 – 17:15 Session 2. Addressing challenges of the new information reality through Sino-Russian dialogue

Are Russia and China opponents or partners in the information security domain? What is the role of media in facilitating information policies of the two countries? How is the notion of “fake news” changing perception of the information domain in China and Russia?

Speakers:

• VOLIN Alexey, Vice Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation
• ZHOU Mingwei, Former Director-General of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration
• SHI Ding, Executive Chief Editor of Huanqiu.com 
• BOVT Georgiy, Editor-in-chief, Russkiy Mir.ru magazine