The 5th RUC Area Studies Forum: China's BRI and South Caucasus in the Era of Ukraine Crisis and Multipolar World Order 2.0 Held Successfully

On June 2, 2022, the 5th RUC Area Studies Forum: China's BRI and South Caucasus in the Era of Ukraine Crisis and Multipolar World Order 2.0 & the 5th Academic Workshop on "Left-wing Politics in Contemporary World", sponsored by the National Academy of Development and Strategy (NADS), RUC and co-organized by the Eurasia Research Institute of Renmin University of China (RUC) and the World Socialism Research Institute of the School of International Studies, was held online through Zoom in both Chinese and English.

Dr. Mher Sahakyan, Director of China-Eurasia Council for Political and Strategic Research, Armenia and Researcher of  Asia Global Institute of the University of Hong Kong, was specially invited to deliver a keynote speech, introducing China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the current situation of the South Caucasus in the multipolar world.

Dr. Mher Sahakyan introduced in detail the current situation of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia under the BRI as well as their cooperation and exchanges with China, and analyzed the impact of the Ukraine crisis on the South Caucasus. He pointed out that the Eurasian Continent Economic Corridor will play a greater role in economic cooperation among Chinese, Russian and European markets against the backdrop of severe western sanctions against Russia. He also mentioned that China has established extensive and deep ties and cooperation with the South Caucasus through the BRI, and hoped that Armenia and China could exempt visas mutually and promote the flow of people to promote more academic and educational exchanges and cooperation.

The Forum was chaired by Xu Qinhua, Deputy Dean of NADS, Executive Dean of the Eurasia Research Institute and Professor of the School of International Relations at RUC, and attended by Zheng Yuntian, Director of the World Socialism Research Institute, Associate Professor of the School of International Studies, RUC, and Researcher of the Center for Research on Belt and Road of the NADS, Sun Chao, Associate Professor of the Party School of C.P.C. Jiangsu Committee, and Ma Bin, Associate Researcher of the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University.

The participants made wonderful comments on the opinions of Dr. Mher Sahakyan. Experts said that the South Caucasus is located at the crossroads of Eurasia, facing Europe across the Black Sea, and connecting with China through Central Asia, across the Caspian Sea. It is an important strategic international passage for oil and gas resources in the Caspian Sea and Central Asia, as well as a traffic artery connecting the East and the West and a bond between Europe and Asia. Dr. Mher Sahakyan provided constructive suggestions for further cooperation between China and the South Caucasus countries in the future.

The Forum is one of a series of small academic activities supported by a major special project of the National Social Science Fund titled "Country Research and Database Construction along the Belt and Road" (17VDL001) led by Prof. Liu Yuanchun, President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and former Vice President of RUC. Special acknowledgements are given to the International Office of RUC for its guidance on this academic activity.