Search

This paper will examine the implications of the April 2005 Sino-Indian statement of strtegic partnership on the tripartite relations among Russia, China, and India. Less than a decade after Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov called for a strategic triangle among Russia, China, and India, the three countries have signed bilateral strategic partnerships with one another and regualarly meet in trilateral groups. The paper hypothesizes that the ties that bind these countries are tactical rather than strategic and therefore the long-term health of these partnerships will depend on whether changing identities and self-conceptions of leaders in each of these countries lead to a focus on absolute gains through cooperation versus an emphasis on relative gains leading to competition for influence and status in the Asian/Eurasian region. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand how the Chinese leadership views Sino-Russian partnership, it is important to see how relations with Russia fit into China’s overall foreign policy framework, particularly key tenets of Chinese foreign policy such as peaceful development, win-win diplomacy, and the creation of a harmonious world. The first section examines the link between China’s evolving identity as a rising power and changing appraisals of Russia as a great power. A second section assesses Chinese foreign policy, political, economic, and military interests in the Sino-Russian partnership. A third section evaluates China’s record in addressing challenges posed by cross-border problems within the context of the leadership’s increasing attention to non-traditional security problems and multilateral cooperative efforts. A final section examines the future prospects for Sino-Russian partnership. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]