"True love or a
political marriage of convenience? China-Russia relations in
light of the Ukraine war"
As we are approaching the end of the summer
semester, the IZO is looking forward to our last event before the summer break: On 19 July, 18.30-19.45
CET, Marina Rudyak will join Maria Repnikova and Una Aleksandra
Bērziņa-Čerenkova to look behind the curtains of the
China-Russia partnership, which has been repeatedly celebrated
diplomatically over the past months.
The entire online event was recorded and is available on Youtube.
Abstract
China and Russia have declared a friendship “without limits"
and with “no forbidden areas". Chinese official rhetoric appears largely
supportive of the Russian legitimisation of the war on Ukraine. But does China
really support Russia unconditionally? What can we read between the lines, and
how are Russia and the Russian-Ukrainian war discussed in inner-Chinese spaces
(in Chinese, not directed at foreigners?) And what role is there to play for
Europe?
The IZO is glad to host a virtual conversation on these
questions between IZO member Marina Rudyak (Goethe University
Frankfurt/Heidelberg University), Maria Repnikova (Georgia State University)
and Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova (Riga Stradins University). While
observing China-Russia relations from Western Europe, the United States and Eastern
Europe, respectively, what all three have in common is that they were born in
the former Soviet Union. Their knowledge of both Chinese and Russian political
discourses gives them a rare and unique perspective on analysing current
China-Russia dynamics.
About the speakers
Maria Repnikova is an Associate Professor in Global Communication
at Georgia State University. Her research focuses on China's political
communication, Chinese soft power, China-Africa relations and China-Russia
comparisons. She is the author of two books, Media
Politics in China: Improvising Power Under Authoritarianism (2017) and Chinese Soft Power (2022).
Since the eruption of the Russia-Ukraine war, she has been a regular
commentator on China-Russia relations.
Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova is a political scientist,
China scholar, Head of Riga Stradins University China Studies Centre and Head
of the Asia program at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. Her
research focuses on PRC political discourse, contemporary Chinese ideology,
EU-China relations, as well as Belt and Road and other transcontinental
interconnectivity initiatives. She is the author of the book Perfect Imbalance: China and Russia (2022).
Marina Rudyak is an Interim Professor for Chinese Politics at
Goethe University Frankfurt and Assistant Professor for Chinese Cultural
Studies at Heidelberg University. Her research focuses on China's international
development cooperation and the Chinese foreign policy discourse. Her 2020
completed doctoral Dissertation Becoming a Donor traced the formation of China's foreign aid policy. She is
the co-creator of the Decoding China Dictionary.
____________________________
The discussion will take place virtually via
Zoom. We kindly ask for registration in advance.
Image credit: Reuters, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Denpasar, Indonesia (G20, July 5, 2022)
