On April 27, 2014, Mikhail Leontievich Titarenko, a prominent Russian orientalist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, and Honored Scientist, celebrated his 80th birthday.

M. L. Titarenko's life is a story of becoming a scientist, researcher, diplomat and administrator. After graduating from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1957, Mikhail Leontievich trained at Peking University for several years (1957-1959), and in 1961 he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Fudan University of the People's Republic of China (Shanghai). For a number of years, he served in the diplomatic service at the Consulate General of the USSR in Shanghai (1961-1962) and the Embassy of the USSR in Beijing (1963-1965). In 1965, M. L. Titarenko was invited as a reference consultant to the Department of the Central Committee of the CPSU, where he worked for 20 years, becoming one of the leading experts on China and the Far East in the highest governing bodies of the USSR.

In November 1965, M. L. Titarenko received the degree of Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, having defended his dissertation on the topic "Ancient Chinese school of Morists and their teaching". In 1979, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

In 1985, M. L. Titarenko became director of the Institute of the Far East of the USSR Academy of Sciences (now IDV RAS), having established himself as an excellent organizer of the creative scientific process. Under his leadership, IDV RAS became a multidisciplinary center for scientific research on a wide range of theoretical and practical problems in the development of the Russian and foreign Far East, primarily China, and Russian-Chinese relations. Over the past almost 30 years, under the leadership of M. L. Titarenko, IDV RAS has gained a well-deserved recognition in Russia, the near and far abroad in the field of comprehensive research of China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, the problems of the Asia-Pacific region, including the entire East Asia and the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

In May 1997, M. L. Titarenko was elected a corresponding member, and in May 2003-a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is an honorary professor at several Chinese and foreign academies and institutes, and an Honored Worker of the Russian Diplomatic Service.

Since the mid-1960s, M. L. Titarenko has been actively involved in the activities of the Society of Soviet-Chinese Friendship (now the Society of Russian-Chinese Friendship). Since 1998, he has been Chairman of the Central Board of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society. At the same time, Mikhail Titarenko is a member of the Executive Council of the Russian - Chinese Committee for Friendship, Peace and Development of the XXI Century, a member of the Presidium of the Organization of Solidarity and Cooperation of the Peoples of Asia and Africa. Mikhail Leontyevich is a holder of a number of Soviet and Russian government awards and awards of foreign countries, in particular, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2009, Mikhail Titarenko was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree.

The research activity of Academician M. L. Titarenko is extremely broad and diverse. He has shown himself to be one of the largest researchers in Russia and abroad of Chinese philosophy and spiritual culture, international and inter-civilizational relations in Asia, problems of the new Eurasianism and relations between the Russian Federation and its Far Eastern neighbors. His work methodologically provides an opportunity to analyze the main trends of traditional Chinese thought and project them on the current political and social realities of China.

One of the key areas of M. L. Titarenko's research is the study of China's domestic political and economic problems through the prism of the successful experience of Chinese reforms and the possibility of understanding it in terms of Russian interests. Analyzing the specifics of modern modernization processes in the People's Republic of China, M. L. Titarenko identifies a fundamental reason

skilful use by the Chinese leadership of the strategy of comparative advantages of the country, which is now organically supplemented by the course of developing its own innovative economy. His methods for predicting China's development, which stand the test of time and correlate with trends in the Chinese economy, are considered relevant.

International issues in the works of M. L. Titarenko are presented in a wide range of key topics that have been consistently and systematically developed and are being developed by him in various research formats. The priority object of his close attention is the development of the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership, issues of stability and co-development of the two countries, interaction between the Russian Federation and the PRC in the integration field of the Asia-Pacific region. M. L. Titarenko developed the concept of a new Eurasianism, within which he analyzes fundamentally important aspects of international relations in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole, mainly from the point of view of ensuring the national interests of Russia. According to him, the partnership between Russia and China in the "Asian directions" is becoming a factor of growth and strengthening of both countries.

M. L. Titarenko pays considerable attention in his research to the regional context of trilateral cooperation between Russia, India, and China, which began to take shape at the beginning of the XXI century. The Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, headed by him, initiated a scientific dialogue between scientists from Russia, India and China, and developed the conceptual framework for trilateral cooperation.

It is symbolic that Mikhail Leontyevich's anniversary coincides with two other dates - the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between our country and the PRC. This coincidence has a deep meaning: China was and remains for the hero of the day a country that he devoted his life to studying.

Directorate and staff of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, editorial board and editorial board of the journal " Vostok (Oriens)" We sincerely congratulate Mikhail Leontyevich on his anniversary and wish him good health and new creative success.

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