The Polar Bear and the Ice Dragon : Examining Russia's Foreign Policy Towards China in the Arctic

Abstract: The Arctic is a region which has been historically and is contemporary important for Russia. The Arctic is a matter of concern not only for the states bordering it but has also garnered attention from China. It demonstrated its interest by releasing its policy on the region for the first time in 2018. This thesis examines Russia's perception of China in the Arctic from 2018 to 2023. To realise this goal, the thesis will analyse the official Russian government's stance and narrative with experts' opinions in Russian think tanks and compare the two. Furthermore, mapping out how the views have evolved and whether they differ between think tank experts and the official government approach. A mixed method content analysis is employed to analyse the change over time and make the comparison fruitfully. A coding scheme is formed by utilising a theoretical framework grounded in extant studies on the relations between Russia and the Arctic. The findings suggest an absence of threat in policy documents and other publications, implying that China is not perceived as a threat in the Arctic. In addition, the think tank views follow and reinforce views expressed in policy documents.