Russia opens research centre on Xi Jinping’s ideology, the first outside China
- Analysis will allow the ‘government, business and scientific community to understand modern China better’, says head of institute overseeing the lab
- Move reflects the changing views within Russian academia on the West and China, especially in the past two years, according to Chinese observer
The Modern Ideology of China Research Laboratory was launched in June by the Russian Academy of Sciences at its Institute of China and Contemporary Asia (ICCA) in Moscow.
It is the first such research centre on the Chinese leader’s political doctrine – known as Xi Jinping Thought – outside China, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Kirill Babaev, director of the ICCA, said the research centre aimed to conduct objective and in-depth analysis of the ideas and concepts that make up the foundation of the modern Chinese state.
“Such an analysis will allow the Russian government, business and scientific community to understand modern China better, to formulate more precise strategies and forecasts for Russia-China relations,” he said.
“We are sure that the more we know our partners, and the more objective and correct this knowledge will be, the better it is for the development of friendly and mutually beneficial relations between Russia and China, Russia and other partners in Asia.”
Babaev said the research would focus on five areas of modern Chinese ideology – economic policy, internal policy and lawmaking, foreign policy and international relations, defence and security, and ecology and society.
Leading Russian sinologists from other research centres will also take part.