From April 26–27 a forum concerning the cultural and harmonious development of Northeast Asia was held in Changsha, Hunan Province. Scholars and experts held discussions on related issues.

Jiang Hongxin, president of Hunan Normal University, said that, through dialogues, the forum aimed to explore new paths of regional cooperation and development for Northeast Asian countries, establish think tankbased communication platforms for exchanges and mutual learning among different cultures, and promote common development. In addition, it aimed to provide spiritual support for Northeast Asia and for the Northeastern human community with a shared future by means of cultural confidence, enhancing Northeast coordination and mutual trust, promoting the common consensus of cooperation, and bringing new impetus to cooperation and innovation.

Dong Weihua, deputy director of the Research Office under the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, said that cultural progress is closely related to the changing times. Communication and mutual learning among different cultures is the intrinsic requirement of the development of human civilization and provides new ideas for the improvement of regional governance. Northeast Asia’s harmony and stability is of great importance to safeguarding world peace, boosting world economic and trade development, and carrying out regional cooperation and even global governance at a higher level.

Alexander Vorontsov, a research fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the strengthening of political consultation and economic cooperation among China, Russia and Mongolia is beneficial to the stability and prosperity of Northeast Asia. In recent years, the building of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor has gradually made progress, which will play an exemplary and leading role for positive interaction in the area.

Scholars and experts from universities and research institutes in South Korea, Japan and Mongolia gave opinions on issues such as the Korean Peninsula, the building of the Northeast Asian community, regional cooperation and the new order of Northeast Asia. The participants believed that Northeast Asia could raise multilateral cooperation to a higher level simply by sticking to the principles of honesty, mutual understanding, mutual benefit and common prosperity.