The reporter learned from the Southeast Asia Research Center of Zhejiang University of Technology that on June 29, the "New Era China-Southeast Asia International Corridor Construction Innovation and Development Academic Seminar and Zhejiang University of Technology Area Studies 2024 Annual Meeting" was held in Hangzhou, where a number of international affairs scholars held discussions on the challenges and opportunities in the development of China-Southeast Asia relations.

　　Speaking about the importance and development prospects of the Southeast Asian section of the Belt and Road Initiative, Huang Renwei, Executive Vice President of the Fudan University Belt and Road and Global Governance Institute, said that China and ASEAN countries have broad space for cooperation in areas such as infrastructure connectivity, production capacity cooperation, and the digital economy, and that in the future strategic alignment should be further deepened to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

　　Zhen Zhongxing, a senior researcher at the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, believes that the joint construction of the Belt and Road by China and ASEAN countries also faces circumstances such as differences in development levels, and he accordingly proposed countermeasures such as strengthening policy communication, innovating cooperation models, and improving risk prevention and control.

　　At the meeting, Wang Yizhou, a professor at Peking University and Dean of the Institute of Area Studies at Nanjing University, analyzed the current situation and trends of area studies in China, and Xue Li, a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, discussed strengthening the construction of the Pan-Asian Railway and put forward suggestions such as "paying attention to the economic sustainability and environmental friendliness of projects."

　　A number of scholars also held discussions respectively on the three topics of "The Vision and Future of the China-Southeast Asia International Corridor," "China-Southeast Asian Countries Relations: History, Reality and Trends," and "Experience in Southeast Asian Area Studies," and offered suggestions on further promoting the construction of the China-Southeast Asia International Corridor and deepening regional cooperation.

　　The conference was jointly hosted by the School of Management, the Vietnam Research Center, and the Southeast Asia Research Center of Zhejiang University of Technology. Chen Yao, a member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Zhejiang University of Technology, said that the current international situation is complex and volatile, and against this background, strengthening exchanges and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, especially the construction of the Southwest International Corridor, is of great practical significance.

　　The Southeast Asia Research Center of Zhejiang University of Technology was established in May 2023. A relevant person in charge said that it will build a comprehensive research platform covering the economy, politics, culture, society, and other aspects, and make every effort to create a country and regional research base that integrates four functions and goals: an academic innovation entity, a high-end think tank, a talent training base, and an international exchange and dialogue platform.