SHANGHAI, November 25 – RIA Novosti. The role of Russia and China in the new world architecture, the countries’ strategic cooperation in security and bilateral economic and investment ties were some of the issues on the agenda of the conference organized by the International Valdai Discussion Club’s Russian-Chinese section, which opened in Shanghai on Thursday, RIA Novosti reports.

The conference entitled “Regional stability through harmonious development: Russia and China in the new world architecture” features over 40 Russian and Chinese political experts, analysts, diplomats and scholars.

In his opening address, Sergei Karaganov, chairman of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, said: “Strategic partnership between Russia and China is an example of the most sustainable, stable and friendly relations in today’s world.” At the same time, the Russian political scientist added, these relations lack certain factors that would make them truly deep. “We have already highlighted the fact,” Karaganov said, “that these relations are still fragile due to the insufficient economic and investment cooperation.”

Russian and Chinese experts thoroughly and openly discussed the obstacles to using the existing tools for active cooperation and that are impeding a joint response to global and regional challenges.

On the first day of the Valdai Club’s Russian-Chinese section, the forum participants focused on identifying Russia’s and China’s role in today’s international relations. Much attention in the discussion was given to the issues of building relations between the two countries and leading European countries and the United States, security in the Asia-Pacific region, and bilateral trade and economic cooperation, including at the interregional level.

The conference was organized by RIA Novosti, the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Center for Russian Studies at the East China Normal University. The conference features experts from leading political science think tanks from Russia and China, the two countries’ Foreign Ministries, the CPC Central Committee and other institutions.

The conference will last for two days, and its participants will draft a joint report on the issues discussed.

The International Valdai Discussion Club has been organizing discussions between Russian and Chinese experts since March 2009. The Shanghai conference is the third meeting of the two countries’ experts to review topical issues of the Russian-Chinese strategic cooperation.