On April 11, a session entitled “Southeast Asia in the Context of Global Turbulence: Plans, Realities and Prospects, as part of Section IA Oriental Studies, XXIV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development, took place. Evgeny Kanaev (the moderator, HSE University), Tatiana Kolesnikova (SPB GUAP), Mikhail Terskikh (IMEMO RAS), Liu Xingtao (Shenyang University) and Dmitry Fedorenko (HSE University) participated in the session.The participants focused on major issues shaping politics, economy and security in Southeast Asia. Salient features of ASEAN policy amidst a new Cold War, the trans-national digital infrastructure, exemplified by the 5G Internet, as a priority of ASEAN Economic Community 2025, protectionism and free trade as part of policy of ASEAN and its member states, Chinese expert approaches to Southeast Asia from a Belt and Road Initiative Perspective were discussed in detail. The speakers offered recommendations on how to increase efficiency of Russia’s and China’s policies, as well as of China-Russia cooperation, in Southeast Asia. The presentations and the subsequent discussion demonstrate that Southeast Asia is increasing in significance for the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. Russian and Chinese scholars will join efforts in producing recommendations on major directions, measures and mechanisms of goal setting and policies of their countries, to their collective advantage.
