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With many predicting the end of US hegemony, Russia and China's growing cooperation in a number of key strategic areas looks set to have a major impact on global power dynamics. But what lies behind this Sino-Russian rapprochement? Is it simply the result of deteriorated Russo-US and Sino-US relations or does it date back to a more fundamental alignment of interests after the Cold War?
In this book Alexander Lukin answers these questions, offering a deeply informed and nuanced assessment of Russia and China's ever-closer ties. Tracing the evolution of this partnership from the 1990s to the present day, he shows how economic and geopolitical interests drove the two countries together in spite of political and cultural differences. Key areas of cooperation and possible conflict are explored, from bilateral trade and investment to immigration and security. Ultimately, Lukin argues that China and Russia's strategic partnership is part of a growing system of cooperation in the non-Western world, which has also seen the emergence of a new political community: Greater Eurasia. His vision of the new China-Russia rapprochement will be essential reading for anyone interested in understanding this evolving partnership and the way in which it is altering the contemporary geopolitical landscape.
List of contents
* Contents
* Acknowledgements
* About the author
* Foreword
* Chapter 1. Russia, China and the changing international system
* Chapter 2. Russia in the eyes of China
* Chapter 3. Russia's pivot to Asia or China? Chinese views of Russia
* Chapter 4. From normalization to strategic partnership
* Chapter 5. The strategic partnership matures: multidimensional cooperation
* Conclusions. Beyond Strategic Partnership? Managing relations in an insecure world
About the author
Alexander Lukin is Head of the International Relations Department at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
Summary
With many predicting the end of US hegemony, Russia and China's growing cooperation in a number of key strategic areas looks set to have a major impact on global power dynamics. But what lies behind this Sino-Russian rapprochement? Is it simply the result of deteriorated Russo-US and Sino-US relations or does it date back to a more fundamental alignment of interests after the Cold War?
In this book Alexander Lukin answers these questions, offering a deeply informed and nuanced assessment of Russia and China's ever-closer ties. Tracing the evolution of this partnership from the 1990s to the present day, he shows how economic and geopolitical interests drove the two countries together in spite of political and cultural differences. Key areas of cooperation and possible conflict are explored, from bilateral trade and investment to immigration and security. Ultimately, Lukin argues that China and Russia's strategic partnership is part of a growing system of cooperation in the non-Western world, which has also seen the emergence of a new political community: Greater Eurasia. His vision of the new China-Russia rapprochement will be essential reading for anyone interested in understanding this evolving partnership and the way in which it is altering the contemporary geopolitical landscape.
Report
"This is a phenomenal study of the Russia-China rapprochement in the post-Cold War world. It provides an insider's perspective based on reliable empirical and documentary accounts, and combines 'what is' with what the author thinks 'should be."
Wang Jisi, Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University
"Lukin is one of the most perceptive, original and theoretically sophisticated analysts of the current shifts in world politics. This study is an invaluable addition to the literature, defining Russian-Chinese relations as part of the emergence of a counter-weight to the West. This is a powerful and convincing interpretation, and is essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of international politics today."
Richard Sakwa, University of Kent
"Today, Russia and China are well into the third decade of a post-cold war relationship and are filirting with the idea of a new alliance. [...] Alexander Lukin, a Russian scholar of China, takes up the question in a bold new book explaining the Russia-China project and where it is headed."
The Financial Times
