Think tanks urge deeper Asia-Europe cooperation

Media organizations and think tanks should take the lead in promoting joint research, youth exchanges and cultural dialogue, creating conditions for cross-cultural understanding and converging into a powerful force driving the prosperity of Eurasia, experts from China and abroad said at a high-level forum on Tuesday.

Liao Fan, director-general of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that think tanks can play an important role in promoting Asia-Europe cooperation by conducting forward-looking research, comparative analysis and multilateral discussions.

By providing intergovernmental consultations, think tanks can inject long-term momentum into Asia-Europe cooperation, Liao said.

He made the remarks at the Think Tank Conference of the Euro-Asia Economic Forum in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province. The forum, jointly organized by the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the CASS and the China Watch Institute of China Daily, attracted more than 120 participants, including experts from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan.

Xu Ketao, vice-mayor of Xi'an, said that the conference has conducted systematic, scientific and strategic assessments on Eurasian economic development, major changes in the international landscape, and deeply rooted regional issues.

Xu said that communication and dialogue among experts have fostered a wealth of research achievements and policy recommendations with significant academic value and influence. These outcomes provide strong intellectual support for Eurasian countries to further deepen economic and trade cooperation, enhance cultural exchanges, and promote practical and profound regional collaboration.

"Currently, the world is undergoing unprecedented changes unseen in a century, with the global economy being profoundly reshaped. As a key engine of global economic growth and a hub for the convergence of civilizations, the Eurasia region now finds multilateral exchanges, deepened mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation more essential than ever before," Xu said.

Liao, from the CASS, noted that China actively promotes the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, Kazakhstan's "Bright Path "new economic policy, and other development strategies of Asian and European countries, providing strong impetus for the economic and social development of Asia and Europe.

Denis Mukha, director of the Institute of Economics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, agreed with Liao. Mukha said that his agency attaches great importance to cooperation with China, a country with enormous scientific and economic potential, and with which Belarus has established strong strategic relations in all spheres, including science and technology.

For Belarus, scientific and technological cooperation with China is a strategic direction of its foreign policy, which is reflected in the alignment of the fundamental development goals of the two countries, Mukha said.

Li Xiangyang, director-general of the National Institute of International Strategy at the CASS, said it is important to realize a high-level international communication mechanism under the framework of joint construction of the Belt and Road in the new era.

On Wednesday, the China Watch Institute of China Daily is scheduled to sign a Think Tank Conference Cooperation Mechanism Memorandum with nine other international think tanks.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn