The Russia-China Partnership - Factors and Interests

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:1.00

Study Course Accepted:23.02.2024 09:31:38

Study Course Information
Course Code:		SZF_063		LQF level:		Level 7
Credit Points:		4.00		ECTS:		6.00
Branch of Science:		Politics		Target Audience:		Political Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		10	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		20
Classes (count)		13	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		26
Total Contact Hours								46
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		7	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		14
Classes (count)		10	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		20
Total Contact Hours								34
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
General knowledge of theories and methods of International Relations, as well as basic knowledge of Russia and China.
Objective:
To provide knowledge on the main aspects of the Russia-China partnership; to contribute to the development of students’ analytical skills by offering tools for the analysis of great power relations in Eurasia.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Status of Relations: Official Russian-Chinese Narratives			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Russia's Approach to the Belt and Road Initiative			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Are There Really ‘No Alliances’? The Reality of Security Cooperation			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	Thinking ‘Close to the Arctic’: China’s Ambitions, Russia’s Reactions			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	China in Russia’s Neighbourhood: The Central Asian ‘Tug of War’			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
6	Russia in China’s Neighbourhood: Vietnam Case Study			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
7	Eurasia Goes Beyond Russia and China: The India Factor			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
8	North Korea: The Complicated Common Neighbour			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
9	US Influence on Russian-Chinese Relations			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
10	Current Developments in Russian-Chinese Relations [Topic in 2021 – In Sickness and in Health: The Impact of COVID-19]			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
11	Tutorial on the Report			Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	Cooperation Narratives. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
13	Russia’s Approach to the Belt and Road Initiative. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
14	China’s Interests in the Russian Arctic and Beyond: China in the Arctic Council and the Arctic Circle. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
15	Russia and China as Security Partners: Opportunities and Limitations. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
16	China’s Presence in Central Asia and Russia’s Reactions. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
17	Tutorial on the Methodology of Written Works			Classes		1.00	other
18	Russia’s Ties With Southeast Asia – Is It Just Imagination? Case Analysis. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
19	Russia’s Other Partner in Eurasia – India. RIC, BRICS and SCO. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
20	DPRK and Russian-Chinese Cooperation – Elements of Russian and Chinese Policies in Relation to North Korea. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
21	US – A Key Factor in Russia-China Rapprochement? Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
22	Current Issues in Russia-China Relations. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports. Conclusion of the Course			Classes		1.00	auditorium
23	Exam			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Status of Relations: Official Russian-Chinese Narratives			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Russia's Approach to the Belt and Road Initiative			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Are There Really ‘No Alliances’? The Reality of Security Cooperation			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	Thinking ‘Close to the Arctic’: China’s Ambitions, Russia’s Reactions			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	China in Russia’s Neighbourhood: The Central Asian ‘Tug of War’			Lectures		0.50	auditorium
6	Russia in China’s Neighbourhood: Vietnam Case Study			Lectures		0.50	auditorium
7	Eurasia Goes Beyond Russia and China: The India Factor			Lectures		0.50	auditorium
8	North Korea: The Complicated Common Neighbour			Lectures		0.50	auditorium
9	US Influence on Russian-Chinese Relations			Lectures		0.50	auditorium
10	Current Developments in Russian-Chinese Relations [Topic in 2021 – In Sickness and in Health: The Impact of COVID-19]			Lectures		0.50	auditorium
11	Tutorial on the Report			Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	Cooperation Narratives. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
13	Russia’s Approach to the Belt and Road Initiative. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
14	China’s Interests in the Russian Arctic and Beyond: China in the Arctic Council and the Arctic Circle. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
15	Russia and China as Security Partners: Opportunities and Limitations. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
16	China’s Presence in Central Asia and Russia’s Reactions. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
17	Tutorial on the Methodology of Written Works			Classes		1.00	other
18	Russia’s Ties With Southeast Asia – Is It Just Imagination? Case Analysis. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
19	Russia’s Other Partner in Eurasia – India. RIC, BRICS and SCO. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
20	DPRK and Russian-Chinese Cooperation – Elements of Russian and Chinese Policies in Relation to North Korea. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
21	US – A Key Factor in Russia-China Rapprochement? Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
22	Current Issues in Russia-China Relations. Literature Discussion. Presentations of Reports. Conclusion of the Course			Classes		0.50	auditorium
23	Exam			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Within the module, students will prepare for seminars, read recommended readings, write a report and prepare a presentation. The objective of the seminars is to develop students’ ability to justify their point of view; to stimulate activity; to test their knowledge of the topic and the material. The objective of the report is to develop the ability to identify the main problem of the topic; to identify and evaluate alternative arguments and points of view; to present one’s own point of view, explaining and arguing why this point of view is more acceptable and superior to any other. The report must compare all possible alternatives, considering all their weaknesses and strengths. Another objective is to develop the skills to independently research situations and problems, evaluate them and develop solutions. To assess the overall quality of the study course, the student must complete the course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
Assessment Criteria:
Attendance – 10%; Activity and preparedness during classes – 30%; Presentation and report – 40%; Final examination (essay) – 20%.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):		Exam (Written)
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Using the in-depth knowledge gained in the study course of the dynamics of Russian-Chinese cooperation in historical and contemporary contexts, students will illustrate the impact of various domestic and foreign policy factors on Russian-Chinese cooperation. Based on a literature analysis on historical and current relations between the two countries, students will describe Russia’s military and political power, as well as China’s economic power and increasingly important economic and political power. Students will explain not only how these countries interact, but also the impact of the interaction on other regions, in particular Central Asia.
Skills:		Students will choose academic literature on Russia-China cooperation in historical and contemporary context that corresponds to the topic of their paper. Students will critically evaluate ideas expressed in the scientific literature and discuss the interpretation of these ideas in peer presentations. In their independent work, students will provide an overview of the prospects and challenges for the development of the Russia-China partnership and critically analyse the problematic situations in this relationship.
Competencies:		Students will critically and comprehensively evaluate and explain in a reasoned manner the impact of various factors on the Russia-China partnership and the development of the two regions affected by the interaction. Students will generate recommendations and new ideas on scenarios for the development of Russian-Chinese cooperation in professional, academic and business environments. These competences will also be applicable to the analysis of other issues, in particular the interaction between two centres of power that are partly equivalent but at the same time different. By contrasting the experiences of different countries and the models chosen, students will demonstrate their understanding of methods of comparative politics in practice.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Visa literatūra ir angļu valodā un piemērota gan latviešu, gan angļu plūsmas studentiem
2	"A new era for China-Russia relationship in 2019," ChinaDaily, source: Xinhua, December 28, 2019.
3	Bērziņa-Čerenkova, U.A. "The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation as Strategic Allies: Narrative analysis of public statements by Russian and Chinese officials." Riga: NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, 2020.
4	"Beginning of Russian-Chinese talks in restricted format". President of Russia, June 5, 2019.
5	Chatzky, Andrew, McBride, James. "China’s Massive Belt and Road Initiative". Council on Foreign Relations.
6	Feng, Yujun, Gabuev, Alexander, Haenle, Paul, Ma, Bin, Trenin, Dmitri. "The Belt and Road Initiative: Views from Washington, Moscow, and Beijing," Carnegie Tsinghua, 2019.
7	Gorenburg, Dmitry. "An Emerging Strategic Partnership: Trends in Russia-China Military Cooperation," George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies, 2020.
8	Guangmiao Xu. "China's Arctic Interests and Policy: History, Legal Ground and Implementation," Mirovaya ekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya, 2016, vol. 60, No 2, pp. 52-62.
9	Guha, Seema. "Why Russia Remains India's Trusted Ally Despite Moscow's Bonhomie With China," Outlook India, July 13, 2020.
10	Huong Le Thu, Sunny Cao. "Russia’s Growing Interests in the South China Sea," Real Clear Defense, December 18, 2019.
11	Insinna, Valerie. "US looks to increase weapons exports to Vietnam, decrease Russian influence," Defence News, February 7, 2018.
12	“Joint statement following the 20th India-Russia annual summit ”Reaching new heights of cooperation through trust and partnership“,” President of Russia, September 4, 2019.
13	Kroenig, Matthew. "The United States Should Not Align With Russia Against China," Foreign Policy, May 13, 2020.
14	Lynch, Ian. "What Are the Implications of China’s Growing Security Role in Central Asia?" The Diplomat, June 3, 2020.
15	Makarov, Igor, Sokolova, Anna. "Coordination of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt: Opportunities for Russia," International Organisations Research Journal. Vol. 11. No 2 (2016).
16	Masterson, Julia. "North Korea, China, Russia Converge Positions," Arms Control Association, January/February 2020.
17	Phuc Thi Tran; Alena Vysotskaya G. Vieira; Laura C. Ferreira-Pereira. "Vietnam's strategic hedging vis-à-vis China: the roles of the European Union and Russia," Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional, vol.56 no.1 Brasília 2013.
18	Rozman, Glibert. "The China-Russia-North Korea triangle after Kim Jong-Un's turn to diplomacy," Korea Economic Institute of America, 2019.
19	"Russia-China Military-Technical and Military Cooperation," In: Russian–Chinese Dialogue: The 2019 Model: Report No. 46/2019, (ed. I. Ivanov) Russian International Affairs Council, p. 39-43.
20	"Russia Loosens Its Belt". Foreign Policy, July 16, 2020.
21	Shah, Ankur. "Russia Loosens Its Belt," Foreign Policy, July 16, 2020.
22	Trenin, Dmitri. "Russia and China in the Arctic: Cooperation, Competition, and Consequences," Carnegie Moscow Center, 2020.
23	Umarov, Temur. "China Looms Large in Central Asia," Carnegie Moscow Center, March 30, 2020.
24	"US lacks responsibility of a superpower in face of pandemic," Global Times, March 16, 2020.
25	Zheng, Yu. "A Look at the China-US-Russia Triangle", China US Focus, March 4, 2020.
Additional Reading
1	PIEZĪME: Kā papildus literatūra studentiem tiks piedāvātas nodaļas no kursa pasniedzējas topošās monogrāfijas/NOTE: As additional literature, students will be offered chapters from the future monograph of the course instructor "Xi’s China and Putin’s Russia: Negotiating a Multifaceted Relationship", World Scientific.