COMPETITION AND COOPERATION: SINO-RUSSIAN INTERACTIONS IN ASIA IN THE ERA OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION
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Authors
Georgiev, Ivan R.
Subjects
great power competition
Russia
China
competition
cooperation
Mongolia
North Korea
Central Asia
Russia
China
competition
cooperation
Mongolia
North Korea
Central Asia
Advisors
Glosny, Michael A.
Date of Issue
2022-03
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
In the great power competition–era, the United States finds itself challenged by two main adversaries: Russia and China. This is especially evident in Asia, where both rival powers seek to retain and expand their traditional political, economic, and military spheres of influence while attempting to put limits on U.S. involvement. This thesis explored the dynamics of competition and cooperation between Russia and China in order to ascertain which are stronger. To achieve this, the thesis examined Sino-Russian interactions in three specific cases: Central Asia, North Korea, and Mongolia. In the case of Central Asia, competition between Russia and China was the strongest of the three cases due to the region’s importance to both great powers. However, shared security concerns and the opposition to U.S. presence push Moscow and Beijing toward cooperation. Regarding North Korea, Russia largely follows China’s lead, recognizing shared concerns about the stability of the DPRK regime and the greater importance of the region to Beijing. Finally, in Mongolia, Moscow and Beijing cooperate for the sake of maintaining a stable and predictable neighbor, avoiding an unnecessary security dilemma. In all three cases, Russia and China were found to prefer cooperation to competition, both to ensure their peripheries’ stability and focus their efforts on the great power competition with the United States.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
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NPS Report Number
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Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.