Held since 2018, the festival brings together students, scholars and practitioners whose studies or careers focus on China and Russia–China relations.
Opening Ceremony
The festival opened with remarks by Anatoly Torkunov, MGIMO Rector, Ivan Melnikov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, Zhang Hanhui, Chinese Ambassador to Russia, Andrey Rudenko, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, and Kirill Barsky, Head of MGIMO’s Department of Diplomacy.
Anatoly Torkunov recalled that it was at MGIMO that Xi Jinping first presented the concept of a Community of Common Destiny for Mankind to an international audience.
Speaking about the level of mutual trust between Russia and China, Zhang Hanhui noted:
“We used to say ‘shoulder to shoulder’; now we say ‘back to back’. It is a position on the battlefield: you trust your partner to protect your most vulnerable point — your back.”
One of the highlights of the opening day was a meeting with Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the Q&A session, students discussed the future of the international order, Russia and China as civilisational states, and the professional development of future diplomats.
Speaking about university education, Maria Zakharova emphasised the importance of independent study:
“University teaches you to learn at a different level. If you want to learn, you will be given every opportunity. If you do not, no one can force you. Your main task is to gain knowledge. For your first three years, focus on your studies. If you have free time, read.”
Each of the festival’s five days focused on a different area of Chinese studies:
DiplomacyNatalia Pryzhkova, Russia’s Consul General in Shenyang, and Alexander Lysov of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department led participants through a series of practical consular cases. Kirill Barsky delivered a lecture on Chinese etiquette
Economics and BusinessIn a case simulation led by Oleg Remyga, CEO of Shenzhen Oriental Communication, and Ivan Zuenko, academic adviser to the China Club, participants analysed an international transaction involving a Chinese company and its potential implications for the Russian market. A separate roundtable focused on prospects for industrial and technological cooperation between Russia and China
Politics and HistoryRepresentatives of the Russian Embassy in Beijing, the Russian Consulate General in Guangzhou and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretariat shared insights into the work of Russian diplomatic and consular missions in China. Sergey Dmitriev of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies delivered a lecture on the historical foundations of contemporary Chinese culture
LawOn 1 October, China’s National Day, Alexander Zainigabdinov of China Window Consulting Group led a case simulation on the legal aspects of working with Chinese partners. Pavel Troshchinsky (MGIMO and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of China and Contemporary Asia) gave a lecture on the distinctive features of China’s legal system and its differences from the Russian legal framework
Language and LinguisticsEkaterina Vasina, a Chinese-language interpreter at the Russian MFA, spoke about the practice of simultaneous interpreting. Tatyana Uryvskaya examined the use of alphabetic words and abbreviations in Chinese, drawing on examples from leading Chinese media outlets.
Academic Conference
China Week also featured a conference for young researchers. Four thematic panels brought together students and experts from the Russian MFA, IMEMO and MGIMO. Selected papers will be recommended for publication in a collected volume indexed in the Russian Science Citation Index.
Closing Ceremony
The festival concluded on 2 October with a concert on MGIMO’s Small Stage. The programme featured performances of “Jasmine Flower” (茉莉花), “左手指月” and “别让爱凋落”.
MGIMO International (ENG) | МГИМО для иностранцев (RUS)
