China-Mongolia-Russia think tank forum opens

The 2016 China-Mongolia-Russia Think Tank Forum, focused on building the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, convened from Sept 28 to 30 in Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The 2016 China-Mongolia-Russia Think Tank Forum is held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, from Sept 28 to 30. [Photo/northnews.cn]

The three-day event, with five sub-forums, attracted more than 150 officials, entrepreneurs, and experts from China, Mongolia and Russia, during which participants discussed proposals to promote the China-Mongolia-Russia development in many aspects.

The five sub-forums covered a wide range of topics: the establishment of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor; cultural education and sustainable development; a dialogue on policies and laws; the facilitation of trade and investment; and a science and technology exchange.

These forums emphasized practical and sustainable proposals, especially the first trilateral project called the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, conceived in September 2014. As a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the economic corridor aims to enhance the connectivity and collaboration among the three countries, as well as to bring together Asia and Europe for closer economic and cultural ties.

Fu Taizeng, vice president of Inner Mongolia autonomous region; Zhang Laiming, deputy director of Development Research Center of the State Council; and many other representatives from Russia and Mongolia addressed the opening ceremony.

The forum was slated to be an important platform for economic cooperation and person-to-person exchanges between China, Mongolia and Russia, and it marked another step in the implementation of the nation’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative with its inland neighbor, according to Fu.

Initiated by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China-Mongolia-Russia Think Tank Forum was jointly founded by 14 agencies and associations from the three countries in 2015.

This year, the think tank forum was sponsored by the China-Mongolia-Russia Think Tank Cooperative Union, composed of members from China’s Development Research Center of the State Council, Inner Mongolia Development Research Center, Inner Mongolia Academy of Social Science, Institute of Far Eastern Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences, Mongolia Science Institute, and Inner Mongolia Normal University.

During the event, the China-Mongolia-Russia Cooperation Institute was announced to be founded in Hohhot.

A group of officials, entrepreneurs and experts from China, Mongolia and Russia listen to a presentation during the 2016 China-Mongolia-Russia Think Tank Forum held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 28. [Photo/people.cn]