Russia and China: Building a Trustful Partnership

This brief history of relations between the PRC and the Soviet Union (Russia) traces their evolution, starting with open hostility and ideology-driven debates of the 1960’s through normalization during the Gorbachev era, ending with trustful partnership and strategic cooperation at the turn of the 21st century under Yeltsin and Putin.

The central topic is the negotiations of 1964-2004 for the delimitation along the western and eastern parts of the boundary between China and Russia, which ended with signing and ratifying an agreement resolving all territorial disputes and demarcating the boundaries at their full length. Establishment of cross-border cooperation on a broad range of issues is described as the main priority for both countries, taking into consideration the fact that large territory of Russia including its Far East and Far North is in the scope of the newest Chinese ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative. The article analyses contents of this strategic initiative, its domestic and foreign economic implications. The history of military détente between China and Russia and confidence-building measures are described. Brief outline of the history of the SCO as well as the main concepts of its activities are also addressed. Several controversial questions concerning the possible trends of Sino-Russian cooperation in the current international situation are raised in the article.

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