The CCPAIIA is Invited to Attend the Second Euro-Asian Economic Cooperation and Development Forum 2026
From April 20 to 21, the Second Euro-Asian Economic Cooperation and Development Forum 2026 was grandly held in Shanghai. Under the theme “Joining Hands to Build a New Pattern of Openness and Promote High-Quality Development of the Eurasian Region”，the forum featured multiple sub-forums on finance, industry, science and innovation, and culture, aiming to deepen Eurasian cooperation from exchange of intentions to project implementation. Zhao Mengda, President of the China Culture Promotion Association Industry Investment Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”) and CEO of Shenzhen Longcharm Holdings Investment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Longcharm Group”), and Dr. Wang Lina, General Secretary of the Association, were invited to attend the forum.
Attending the Opening Ceremony and Delivering a Keynote Speech: People-to-People Cooperation Must Move from “Events” to “Platforms”
On the morning of April 20, Zhao Mengda and Dr. Wang Lina attended the forum’s opening ceremony. In the afternoon, at the “Eurasian People-to-People Cooperation Forum” sub-forum, Zhao Mengda delivered a keynote speech titled “New Paths for People-to-People Cooperation – From Events to Platforms, Serving Long-Term Eurasian Cooperation.” He pointed out that people-to-people cooperation never exists in isolation; it serves both economic and trade exchanges in the Eurasian region and industrial coordination, project implementation, and long-term mechanism building. “Economic cooperation addresses the ‘what’ and ‘how,’ while people-to-people cooperation addresses the ‘why we can do it long-term’ and ‘how we can sustain it.’” He emphasized that in the current context of China-Russia and Eurasian cooperation, people-to-people exchanges are moving from event-based interactions to platform-based cooperation, from short-term engagements to long-term mechanisms, and from one-way displays to project transformation.
Drawing on the practices of the Association and Longcharm Group, Zhao Mengda shared three insights: first, people-to-people exchanges are the foundation of trust and cooperation; second, people-to-people cooperation must move from resource advantages to industrial value; third, the key to people-to-people cooperation lies in platformization, projectization, and institutionalization. He highlighted Longcharm Group’s investments in education (upgrading the Prospect Academy), cultural tourism (Velowind outdoor sports service platform and Shanhaifu RV cultural tourism project), healthcare (cooperation with Beijing Taiyi Medical Research Institute), and technology (Locus X spatial internet and digital twin technology). He stressed that people-to-people cooperation requires the joint efforts of education platforms, cultural tourism scenarios, healthcare products, technological capabilities, and capital support. He specifically pointed out that technology is not a supporting actor in people-to-people cooperation but an essential infrastructure for advancing project implementation, enhancing communication capacity, and amplifying scenario value.
（Zhao Mengda, President of the CCPAIIA, delivers a keynote speech at the sub-forum of the Eurasian People-to-People Cooperation Forum）
Exclusive Interview with Xinhua News Agency: The Key to Upgrading Eurasian Cooperation Lies in “More Concrete, More Practical, More Sustainable”
After his speech, Zhao Mengda gave an exclusive interview to Xinhua News Agency. On upgrading Eurasian cooperation, he said the key lies in three words: “more concrete, more practical, more sustainable.” It is necessary to clarify problems, sort out needs, and match projects and resources accordingly; to establish actionable mechanisms addressing practical issues such as payments, industrial absorption, technology transfer, talent cultivation, and standard alignment; and to ensure follow-up tracking, record-keeping, and implementation rhythm after the forum.
Regarding new growth points in technological cooperation, Zhao Mengda believes the biggest bottleneck is the lack of integration between technology, scenarios, and mechanisms. He suggested starting with directions such as robotics applications, AI services, digital twins, smart cultural tourism, and health technology, and jointly building integrated platforms for “joint R&D + application validation + talent cultivation.”
On the institutionalization of the forum, Zhao Mengda made four suggestions: establishing a pre-forum sorting mechanism, an in-forum matchmaking mechanism, a post-forum follow-up mechanism, and a professional support and coordination mechanism. He expressed hope that the forum would gradually grow into an “Eurasian cooperation project incubator” with incubation and transformation capabilities.
When asked about how people-to-people cooperation can provide resilience and vitality for economic and trade cooperation, Zhao Mengda replied that people-to-people exchanges address the deeper issues of relationships. Economic and trade projects are subject to cycles and external environments, but mutual understanding, youth connections, and social recognition give long-term relationships greater resilience. People-to-people ties are not an adornment to economic and trade cooperation but the underlying foundation of long-term relationships.
（Zhao Mengda, President of the CCPAIIA, Attends the Second Euro-Asian Economic Cooperation and Development Forum 2026）
Attending Cultural Performances and Multiple Sessions the Next Day
That evening, Zhao Mengda and Dr. Wang Lina, together with the attending leaders and guests, attended a Eurasian cultural performance, experiencing the artistic charm of diverse civilizations. On April 21, they continued to participate in the thematic session on “Competition and Collaboration Between Entity Banks and Digital Platforms,” the forum’s outcome release, and a closed-door meeting, engaging in practical discussions with representatives from political, business, and academic circles of Eurasian countries on project matching, resource alignment, and follow-up cooperation mechanisms.
The Association Continues to Play a Bridging Role, Serving Deeper and More Substantive Eurasian People-to-People Cooperation
During the forum, the Association fully demonstrated its platform value in connecting cultural enterprises, capital, and industrial partners. Zhao Mengda stated that the Association is willing to work with all parties to build platforms, sort out projects, integrate resources, and promote implementation in areas such as cultural industry investment and financing, cultural technology integration, cultural tourism project incubation, educational cooperation support, and health industry coordination. In the future, the Association will continue to uphold the philosophy of “Culture as the Soul, Capital as the Wings, Industry as the Foundation,” serving the directions in China-Russia and Eurasian regional cooperation that require long-term trust, long-term platforms, and long-term mechanisms, and contributing to the creation of more replicable, sustainable, and scalable outcomes in people-to-people cooperation.
Edited by Dr. Lina WANG
Proofread by Dr. John Chun Yin WONG