The Impact of Western Sanctions Policy on China’s Perception of Russia
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines how Russia has been perceived in China in the context of Western sanctions imposed following the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis. The analysis is based on a comparison of official diplomatic rheto-ric from Chinese leadership and academic interpretations published between 2022 and 2025. The findings indicate that Russia continues to be framed as a strategic partner in China’s foreign policy discourse, especially amid increasing global instability. At the same time, Chinese diplomatic language has evolved toward a more pragmatic and institutionalized tone. In the academic community, support for deeper China–Russia coopera-tion remains dominant, though it is often accompanied by calls for caution, manageability, a non-aligned framework, and alignment with China’s core national interests. The study concludes that the contemporary Chinese perception of Russia reflects a balance between strategic pragmatism, diplomatic flexibility, and the pursuit of autonomous foreign policy under conditions of global transformation.
Author: Xie Hanting
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4411556704