Abstract

Abstract:

Since the late 1990s, the concept of multipolarity has gained prominence around the globe. Russia and China, in particular, have repeatedly agreed on this ill-defined term and subsequently have included it or alluded to it in nearly all of their joint declarations, statements, and treaties dating from the mid-1990s to the present. At a time when American hegemony is declining and speculation abounds as to which among the world’s burgeoning nations will rise to power, it is important to examine the renewed Sino-Russian relationship and one of its foundational pillars—the promotion of multipolarity. This article deconstructs the definition of multipolarity as it applies uniquely to Russia and China in an effort to determine the depth of the two countries’ agreement. Though the two may agree upon the same “solution” to the next world order, China and Russia employ very different strategies to achieve it.

pdf

Share