Russia-China-US summit could lay groundwork for new world order — institute head
Alexey Maslov, director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, suggested the leaders in Shenzhen would discuss the concept of global governance
SHANGHAI, November 13. /TASS/. A possible meeting of the Russian, Chinese and US leaders at the APEC summit in Shenzhen could mark the start of work on a new, stable world order, Alexey Maslov, director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University, said in an interview with TASS.
"I think the talks will naturally focus on what a more peaceful and stable world order might look like," said Maslov, who arrived in Shanghai on a working visit. He suggested that growing global turbulence and regional conflicts could be among the topics on the agenda. Maslov believes the leaders of Russia, China and the United States are taking a rational approach to the issue.
"Over the past few years, we’ve seen conventional infrastructure projects collapse, risks to freight transport increase, <…> and cybersecurity become one of the challenges we face today. China still needs secure supplies of raw materials, primarily oil, gas and coal, as well as a range of other materials such as copper and cobalt," the professor said. "As it turns out, all these conflicts are having a very significant impact on national economies."
"I don’t think we’ll see a Yalta 2.0, as many people foresee, with anyone carving up the world," he said. Maslov suggested the leaders in Shenzhen would discuss the concept of global governance that China has been actively promoting. It would give a role in global decision-making to countries that, for various reasons, have been on the margins of global politics. "That was a result of the so-called rules-based world. Other countries wrote the rules for a different set of circumstances, and of course China and Russia are among those that cannot accept the situation," he added.
Maslov also expects global security to be on the agenda. "The top issue will probably be keeping artificial intelligence out of the control of nuclear arsenals, given the enormous risks involved," he said. "Artificial intelligence is now a reality that needs to be regulated. It’s no longer a toy or something designed for entertainment. China, for example, is already making extensive use of AI, including in humanoid robots. China is rolling it out rapidly, and I think it will become part of everyday life over the next decade. That’s why we need to agree now on some common standards for how we interact with it."
The 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held on November 18-19 in Shenzhen, in southern China’s Guangdong Province. President Vladimir Putin will lead the Russian delegation. On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters that preparations for a possible trilateral meeting between Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping continue.