Russia and China between cooperation and competition at the regional and global level. Introduction

Bossuyt, F. and Kaczmarski, M. (2021) Russia and China between cooperation and competition at the regional and global level. Introduction. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 62(5-6), pp. 539-556. (doi: 10.1080/15387216.2021.2023363)

Abstract

The steady intensification of Sino-Russian cooperation over the past few years has triggered a surge in scholarly interest. However, in light of the far-reaching geopolitical implications of the Sino-Russian rapprochement, most studies of Sino-Russian dynamics are not only conducted from the disciplinary perspective of International Relations (IR), but also continue to be embedded in realist assumptions and power-political perspectives. This special issue seeks to advance the scholarly knowledge on the Sino-Russian relationship by making the case for expanding the scope of analysis theoretically, disciplinarily and empirically. This introductory article first sets the context by providing a historical overview of key developments in Sino-Russian relations. Following an in-depth review of the IR-dominated literature, it then substantiates the claim that there is a need to broaden the scope of analysis in order to move beyond the IR realist perspective that predominates the literature on the Sino-Russian relationship. Together, the articles in the special issue add new insights to the literature by analyzing the depth of the relationship; scrutinizing Russian discourses on China, in both historical and contemporary contexts; exploring the limitations and dilemmas of the relationship; and paying specific attention to the agency of the countries “in-between”, from Central Asia to Mongolia.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kaczmarski, Dr Marcin
• Authors: Bossuyt, F., and Kaczmarski, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Central and East European Studies
• Journal Name: Eurasian Geography and Economics
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1538-7216
• ISSN (Online): 1938-2863
• Published Online: 06 January 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Eurasian Geography and Economics 62(5-6): 539-536
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License