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

China-Russia relations

Liu Zhen

Published: 5:00pm, 2 Jul 2023

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Russia has opened a state-funded research centre on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ideology “to understand modern China better”.

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.

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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.

“We also emphasise that the laboratory will not accept any external financing and will only be financed by our institute, to make its work free of any ideological pressure,” he added.

China is among Russia’s main allies, both economically and geopolitically, with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year declaring a “no limits” partnership just weeks before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Those ties have strengthened since then, as Beijing insists on “neutrality” over the conflict. China has never condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and opposes sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, instead continuing economic relations and cooperation with its partner.

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Li Lifan, an expert on Russia and Central Asia at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the new research centre reflected the changing views in Russian academia on the West and China, especially over the past two years.

“The ‘look to the East’ approach has grown in the significance,” he said.

“In fact, some of China’s successes – such as reducing poverty and its industrial development policies – have been considered by our Russian colleagues as useful references for some of Russia’s domestic problems.”

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Li also noted that Russian leaders including Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin had used Chinese sayings during speeches in recent years, suggesting they had China experts among their staff.

“With researchers and students specialised in Chinese ideology going into [Russia’s] institutes, think tanks and decision-making agencies in the future, this will also add to China’s influence [there],” he said.

China has opened at least 18 research institutes on Xi’s political theory – whose full name is Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era – since it was enshrined in the constitution in 2017. The following year, presidential term limits were abolished.