Russia and China as Viewed by Russian and Chinese Youth

Abstract

Russia-China relations are a major research focus in international relations, yet few studies have so far addressed the issue of how the two nations view each other. This study seeks to contribute to closing this gap by focusing on how college-age millennials perceive the counterpart country. We have selected students who have had experience studying abroad, namely Chinese students who have studied in Russia and Russian students who have studied in China. Our findings are based on the analysis of 150 in-depth qualitative narrative interviews conducted with Chinese and Russian students (75 in each group). The study demonstrates that ethnocentric stereotypes prevail and both groups engage in cultural ‘othering’. Meanwhile, students from both countries perceive Russian President Vladimir Putin as a central determining factor in shaping Russia-China relations.

Between Hard and Soft Power: British and Russian Youth on National Pride

“…Within the framework of this project, polls are being conducted in Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, South Korea, Japan, and Venezuela. Several studies have already been published based on the analysis of the collected data (Kasamara, Sorokina, Maximenkova 2018; Sorokina and Maximenkova 2020; Katrich 2021). The data collected during the realization of the project are used in this study, as well.…”