From January 14 to 16, 2020, at the invitation of the organizing committee of the Gaidar Forum in Russia, SHUPL delegation visited Russia to participate in the Gaidar Forum and conducted in-depth exchanges with various departments during the visit to Russia.
With the theme of “Russia and the World: Challenges of the New Decade ”, the Forum was attended by nearly 1,000 officials and professionals from the world’s political, academic and business communities to exchange views on the current problems facing Russia and the world economy. Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, together with Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, co-sponsored a sub-forum on the theme of “A New Geopolitical Landscape in Eurasia: China’s Belt and Road Initiative Docking with Russia’s Eurasian Economic Union”, which was presided over by Jiang Siyuan, Secretary-General of the Secretariat of the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Legal Service Committee.
In the Sub-forum, Professor Xu Guojian, Special-term Dean of the International Law School of the SHUPL, conveyed the greetings of President Liu Xiaohong to the participants of the Forum at first. Xu Guojian explained the basic theoretical issues of the proposal, construction and significance of the dispute settlement mechanism, systematically introduced the status quo and the latest development of the international dispute settlement mechanism, and shared with the participants his experience and thoughts on participating in the drafting of the Hague Convention and the Singapore Convention on Mediation. Xu Guojian pointed out that the dispute settlement mechanism is both a guarantee mechanism and a dispute prevention mechanism for the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union. He also put forward the specific conception of establishing a regional dispute settlement mechanism within the scope of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Hu Jiaxiang, a full professor with tenure at Koguan School of Law at Shanghai Jiaotong University, shared with the participants the dispute resolution mechanism and organizational construction in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. He concluded that there is no effective dispute settlement mechanism established for the countries along the “Belt and Road” and the Eurasian Union countries. The establishment of such a dispute settlement mechanism is an effective guarantee mechanism to promote cooperation between the two sides. Cao Junjin, associate professor at the International Law School of SHUPL, believed that legal cooperation can effectively eliminate discrepancies and disputes in economic and trade cooperation in the process of docking the “Belt and Road” and the Eurasian Economic Union, and put forward that China stands ready to further strengthen legal cooperation with the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union from the aspects of the top-level system design of legal cooperation, the exchanges of legal talents and the training of legal personnel cooperation. The Vice President of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, the Director of the Trade Policy Division of the Eurasian Economic Union Commission, the Chairman of the Civil Service Centre of the Astana Region of Kazakhstan, the President of the National School of Administration of the President of Kyrgyzstan, the President of the National School of Administration of the President of Tajikistan and the President of the National School of Administration of the President of Uzbekistan have expressed their affirmation, appreciation, support, and expectation for the docking of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union. Jiang Siyuan summarized the sub-forum and looked forward to all parties working together with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Legal Service Committee to promote the trade and legal cooperation between the “Belt and Road” and the Eurasian Economic Union.
During the visit to Russia, SHUPL delegation also visited the Chinese Embassy in Russia to report the work of the CNISCO and the China-Shanghai Cooperation Legal Service Commission. Zhang Hanhui, China’s ambassador to Russia, cordially met with the delegation. Jiang Siyuan conveyed the greetings of the SHUPL’s leaders to Ambassador Zhang Hanhui, thanked the ambassador for his caring and support for the development of the university, the CNISCO, and briefed the latest work situation and achievements of CNISCO, which was appreciated and acclaimed by Zhang Hanhui. He also briefed to the SHUPL delegation the current situation of China’s economic and trade cooperation with Russia, stressed the importance of enhancing legal services in the process of China-Russian economic and trade cooperation, and put forward suggestions for further exerting the role of the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Legal Service Commission.
The delegation also visited the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration and conducted in-depth communication with the President of the National School of Administration of the President of Kyrgyzstan, the President of the National School of Administration of the President of Tajikistan and the President of the National School of Administration of the President of Uzbekistan on topics such as the docking of the “Belt and Road” and the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s economic and trade cooperation, and the training of political and legal personnel.
Due to the great geographical convenience and economic complementarity between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, it has drawn great attention from the cooperative parties in recent years and has become an important topic for China and Russia head of state visit. At present, China has signed a legal document with the Eurasian Economic Union to form an overall institutional arrangement, but the deep docking between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union needs to be further studied and discussed. The representative of SHUPL was also invited to express his views on the legal and economic issues in relevant topics regarding the docking process so as to serve the overall situation of national strategy, to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, and to further highlight the scientific research strength of the teachers at SHUPL and to enhance the international influence of the SHUPL.
CNISCO Office, International Law School of SHUPL