Interview: Integration of Russian, Chinese development initiatives may lead to "Eurasian heartland:" Russian expert

The integration of China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and Russia's aspiration under the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) framework could lead to the building of an "Eurasian heartland," a Russian expert has said.

In a joint statement signed last month by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the two sides vowed to discuss the docking of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and the EAEU construction, saying they agreed to set up a dialogue mechanism for the integration and to boost cooperation within frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

This would help establish a common and integrated economic space in Eurasia and finally lead to the building of an "Eurasian heartland, deputy director of the Far East Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Luzyanin told Xinhua in an interview.

From construction and upgrading of highways to railroad modernization, infrastructure would be the primary task of the implementation project, which would also focus on cooperation in raw material production, metallurgy, hydrocarbon prospecting as well as oil and gas industry, Luzyanin said.

He added that Russia looks forward to attracting more investment and banking business from China.

"The docking project could help combine capital coming from China, Russia and other countries and thus support the Russian-Kazakh Eurasian Bank, foster the SCO development bank and reinforce the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank," Luzyanin said.

He said agricultural cooperation could also be expanded as Russia is carrying out import substitute plans amid Western sanctions.

Luzyanin believed efforts to link the two countries' development strategies would succeed, but stressed the process of reaching this success might be full of ups and downs.

"Time is needed to set up effective mechanisms for the operation of the Silk Road Economic Belt, also to conquer technical problems such as different track gauges of involved countries," said Luzyanin, adding that more and more Chinese investment would bring Russia development opportunities and economic benefits.

He noted that linking the EAEU and the Silk Road Economic Belt would be a mutually beneficial project, as the integration of the EAEU would make possible the real free flow of goods, labor and services, which would be a convenience for China and bring profits to the EAEU in return.

Luzyanin also stressed that the "Eurasian heartland" is a peaceful and open economic development plan that would not focus on military strength.

"Russia and China are working together to build a new peaceful heartland and center of Eurasia, which could become a promising global economic center just like the Asia-Pacific region," Luzyanin said.

He stressed that Russia and China would not develop any kind of subordinate relationship or form a military alliance in efforts to develop the docking project. Endit