Conference on Russia Papers

This essay aims to assess the perception of Russia in the foreign policy establishment thinking of the People’s Republic of China, specifically looking at the most recent developments following the Russian invasion into Ukraine, by examining speeches, statements, and meeting readouts of the PRC’s top foreign policy actors, complemented with an assessment of Chinese academia. The first section of the essay gauges the role of Russia in China’s foreign policy outlook. The second section provides an analysis of selected PRC academic publications after the beginning of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The essay concludes that the PRC’s policy vis-a-vis Russia is not that of an allied power, but of an interest-based pragmatic neighbour. Consequentially, while the Chinese foreign policy establishment promises deep and integrated cooperation, the PRC foreign affairs academic debate contains a strong motif of a limited support doctrine in relation to Russia.