The 5th Eastern Economic Forum has opened in the Russian city of Vladivostok. Established in 2015, it's essentially a platform which aims to encourage foreign investment in Russia's east. President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting with the leader of China's delegation, Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on Thursday. 

This particular forum is concentrating on cooperation between Russia's far east and the Asia-pacific region as a whole. The China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is playing a huge part in Asia-Pacific development, of course. 

So can Russia utilize the BRI to help drive growth in its far east? Professor Liu Baocheng, dean of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics, gives a positive answer, saying both countries can get a win-win situation due to the multi-aspect bonds and cooperation.