ABSTRACT
Since the 1980s Chinese leaders have made a deliberate effort to formulate an integrated periphery policy (zhoubian zhengce 周边政策) known as good neighbor diplomacy (mulin waijiao 睦邻外交), aimed at exploring the common ground with neighboring countries in both economic and security arenas and conveying the image of a responsible power willing to contribute to stability and cooperation in China’s neighborhood. Russia and Central Asian nations are part of China’s zhoubian guojia (periphery countries 周边国家). Additionally, Russia is a key partner in China’s great power diplomacy (daguo waijiao 大国外交), which also covers China’s relations with the United States, Japan, and major EU countries. Russo-Chinese relations are complex that warrant lengthy discussions in a separate book. This book and this chapter only discuss Russia as far as China’s new energy and security diplomacy is concerned.
