Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mapping the Literature on China and Russia in IR and Area Studies: A Bibliometric Analysis (1990–2019)

  • Review Essay
  • Published:
Journal of Chinese Political Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Studies focusing on China and Russia, whose relationship is of key importance to the configuration of the international system, have been evolving dynamically in various disciplines. We analyze the evolution of this research by focusing on the fields of International Relations and Area Studies. This novel bibliometric study employs Biblioshiny, AntConc, and VOSviewer to analyze 947 publications collected from the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing specifically on 266 publications in International Relations and Area Studies. While mapping research on China and Russia over the last three decades (1990–2019), we identify the main trends regarding the annual distribution of papers, document types, dominant journals, collaboration networks between countries, and the most productive authors. We also establish prevailing research themes resulting from keyword analysis and their respective growth over time, as well as the density of the most frequently used terms and methods employed in the selected research fields. Finally, we identify fruitful avenues for further research, while also demonstrating how the bibliometric approach can inform and direct developments on China and Russia studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. See Karaganov, S. and Makarov I. (2014, 18 January). Strategy XXI: Pivot East. vedomosti.https://www.vedomosti.ru/newspaper/articles/2014/01/28/povorot-na-vostok

  2. The results include the date of retrieval, as other publications are adwhich China and Russia attempt to impede the action of theded to the database regularly.

  3. As found on p. 1456 in Drijvers, P., Grauwin, S. & Trouche, L. (2020). When bibliometrics met mathematics education research: the case of instrumental orchestration. ZDM Mathematics Education 52. Otlet, P. (1934). Traité de Documentation: Le Livre sur le Livre, Théorie et Pratique. Mons: Editiones Mundaneum.

  4. https://clarivate.com/webofsciencegroup/solutions/web-of-science/

  5. An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis [58]

  6. Anthony, L. (2014). AntConc (Version 3.4. 3) [Computer Software]. Tokyo, Japan: Waseda University.

  7. Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 2(84), 523–538.

  8. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/ziliao_665539/3602_665543/3604_665547/t18028.shtml

  9. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China,

    https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/t15793.shtml and https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/234074

  10. About SCO|SCO (sectsco.org).

  11. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China,

    https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/t15771.shtml

  12. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China,

    https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/topics_665678/xjpfwzysiesgjtfhshzzfh_665686/t1076334.shtml

  13. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China,

    https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/topics_665678/xjpcfelsgjjjlt/t1671014.shtml

  14. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China,

    https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/topics_665678/xjpcfelsgjjjlt/t1671019.shtml

  15. Of course, these findings must be assessed by taking into account the choice of the database used in the present study.

  16. The index is created in partnership with Russia's Scientific Electronic Library (eLibrary.ru). The period selected was from the first available year, 2005 to 2020 (keywords in title (Китaй и Poccия/Китaйcкo-pyccкий) China and Russia and/or Sino-Russian.

  17. There were 72 results before filtering to account for articles published only in academic journals.

  18. Surprisingly, 5 publications were authored by Chinese scholars in the Russian language, focusing on various aspects of China and Russia relations (see Xuhua Dnao, 2013; Zhao Jun, 2011; Juan Lifu, 2010; Lu Naxi, et al. 2018). Similar research into the main Chinese databases could also contribute toward unraveling whether there has been a collaboration between Chinese and Russian scholars published in Chinese.

  19. The indication anonymous appears due to missing metadata automatically provided by the journals in the database.

  20. Compared to the results gathered from the Russian Science Citation Index, female representation is higher. Out of the 50 articles collected, 21 articles were authored by at least 1 female author, which accounts for a representation of 42%. In more detail, 13 papers were single authored, 3 were authored by female-only author teams and 5 were from mixed-gender author teams. Of a total of 65 authors, 23 were women (35%). See (Semenova N., 2017; Potapenko, MV, & Kholina, VN, 2011).

  21. The g-index highlights papers that are highly cited.

  22. The h-index measures both the productivity and citation impact of a publication.

  23. ‘Identity’ and ‘alliances’ as key concepts of two different schools of thought indicate a certain competition between the constructivist and realist IR paradigms in the current state of the art in China and Russia studies.

References

  1. Bolt, P.J., and S.N. Cross. 2018. China, Russia, and twenty-first century global geopolitics. Oxford University Press.

  2. Bin, Y. 1993. Sino-Russian military relations: Implications for Asian-pacific security. Asian Survey 33 (3): 302–316. https://doi.org/10.2307/2645253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Watts, J., S. Ledberg, and K. Engelbrekt. 2016. Brothers in arms, yet again? Twenty-first century Sino-Russian strategic collaboration in the realm of defence and security. Defence studies 16 (4): 427–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/14702436.2016.1238747.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Schwartz, P. 2018. Evolution of Sino-Russian defense cooperation since the cold war (Part 1+ Part 2). In International relations and Asia’s northern tier, Asan-Palgrave Macmillan series, ed. G. Rozman and S. Radchenko. Singapore: Palgrave.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Schwartz, P.N. 2019. The military dimension in Sino-Russian relations. In Sino-Russian Relations in the 21st Century, 87–111. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

  6. Paik, K.W. 1996. Energy cooperation in Sino-Russian relations: The importance of oil and gas. The Pacific Review 9 (1): 77–95.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Skalamera, M. 2016. Sino-Russian energy relations reversed: A new little brother. Energy Strategy Reviews 13: 97–108.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Røseth, T. 2017. Russia’s energy relations with China: passing the strategic threshold? Eurasian Geography and Economics 58 (1): 23–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2017.1304229.

  9. Lotspeich, R. 2006. Perspectives on the economic relations between China and Russia. Journal of Contemporary Asia 36 (1): 48–74.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Guang-yun, P.A.N. 2012. The implementation of the Sino-Russia planning outline and the path choice of sciences and technology cooperation between liaoning province and Russia. Siberian Studies 4: 334–352.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Perfilyev, N. 2010. The Sino-Russian space entente. Astropolitics 8 (1): 19–34.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Valeev, R.M., and A.R. Alikberova. 2015. Russian-Chinese relations in the field of culture (1990s-2000s). Journal of Sustainable Development 8 (4): 132.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bratersky, M., and G. Kutyrev. 2019. BRICS and the evolving Russia-India-China security agenda. Strategic Analysis 43 (6): 597–619.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cheng, Z., and W. Wang. 2014. Network partnership diplomatic mechanism: The new path in Sino-Russian cooperation-on the Sino-Russian joint dominance of BRICS governance mechanism. Journal of China and International Relations 2 (2): 951.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Eminue, O., and M. Dickson. 2013. The United Nations resolutions on Syria: Exploration of motivation from Russia and China. International Affairs and Global Strategy 10 (1): 5–13.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ambrosio, T. 2017. The architecture of alignment: The Russia-China relationship and international agreements. Europe Asia Studies 69 (1): 110–156.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bhadrakumar, M.K. 2007. The new ‘NATO of the east takes shape: The SCO and China, Russia, and US maneuvers. The Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus 5 (8): 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Contessi, N.P. 2010. China, Russia and the leadership of the SCO: a tacit deal scenario. China & Eurasia Forum Quarterly 8 (4): 101–123.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lanteigne, M. 2018. Russia, China and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Diverging security interests and the ‘Crimea effect’. In Russia’s Turn to the East, 119–138. Cham: Palgrave Pivot.

  20. Naarajärvi, T. 2012. China, Russia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Blessing or curse for new regionalism in Central Asia? Asia Europe Journal 10 (2): 113–126.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Wilson, J. L. 2016. The Eurasian Economic Union and China’s silk road: implications for the Russian–Chinese relationship. European Politics and Society 17 (sup1): 113–132.

  22. Kaczmarski, M. 2017. Two ways of influence-building: The Eurasian economic union and the one belt, one road initiative. Europe-Asia Studies 69 (7): 1027–1046.

  23. Ferdinand, P. 2014. Rising powers at the UN: An analysis of the voting behaviour of BRICS in the general assembly. Third World Quarterly 35 (3): 376–391.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ferdinand, P. 2013. China and Russia at the United Nations. Asia Summary, 9.

  25. Humphrey, C. 2012. Concepts of “Russia” and their Relation to the Border with China. In Frontier Encounters: Knowledge and practice at the Russian, Chinese and Mongolian border, 55–70.

  26. Rolland, N. 2019. A China-Russia condominium over Eurasia. Survival 61 (1): 7–22.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Ryzhova, N., and G. Ioffe. 2009. Trans-border exchange between Russia and China: The case of Blagoveshchensk and Heihe. Eurasian Geography and Economics 50 (3): 348–364.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Freeman, C.P. 2018. New strategies for an old rivalry? China-Russia relations in Central Asia after the energy boom. The Pacific Review 31 (5): 635–654.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kim, Y., and S. Blank. 2013. Same bed, different dreams: China’s ‘peaceful rise’ and Sino-Russian rivalry in Central Asia. Journal of Contemporary China 22 (83): 773–790.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Christoffersen, G. 2010. Russia’s breakthrough into the Asia-Pacific: China’s role. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific 10 (1): 61–91.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Stronski, P., & N. Ng. 2018. Cooperation and Competition: Russia and China in Central Asia, the Russian Far East, and the Arctic (Vol. 28). Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

  32. Alexeeva, O., & Lasserre, F. 2018. An analysis on Sino-Russian cooperation in the Arctic in the BRI era. Advances in Polar Sciences 29 (4): 269–282.

  33. Korolev, A. 2019. How closely aligned are China and Russia? Measuring strategic cooperation in IR. International Politics 57: 760.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Larson, D.W., and A. Shevchenko. 2010. Status seekers: Chinese and Russian responses to US primacy. International security 34 (4): 63–95.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Weitz, R. 2003. Why Russia and China have not formed an anti-American alliance. Naval War College Review 56 (4): 39–62.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Lo, B. 2008. Axis of convenience: Moscow, Beijing, and the new geopolitics. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.

  37. Baev, P.K. 2019. Three turns in the evolution of China-Russia presidential pseudo-alliance. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies 6 (1): 4–18.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Weitz, R. 2008. China-Russia security relations: strategic parallelism without partnership or passion.

  39. Li, C. 2007. Limited defensive strategic partnership: Sino-Russian rapprochement and the driving forces. Journal of Contemporary China 16 (52): 477–497.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Bin, Y. 2006. China and Russia: Normalizing Their Strategic Partnership. In Power shift, 228–244. University of California Press.

  41. Wilkins, T.S. 2008. Russo-Chinese strategic partnership: A new form of security cooperation? Contemporary Security Policy 29 (2): 358–383.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Flikke, Geir. 2016. Sino-Russian relations status exchange or imbalanced relationship? Problems of Post-Communism 63 (3): 159–170.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Titarenko, L.L. 2014. Russia and China: strategic partnership and challenges of time. In M: ID FORUM.

  44. Allison, G. 2018. China and Russia: A strategic alliance in the making. The National Interest, 14.

  45. Blank, S. 2020. The unholy Russo-Chinese alliance. Defense & Security Analysis 36 (3): 249–274.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Korolev, A. 2019. On the verge of an alliance: Contemporary China-Russia military cooperation. Asian Security 15 (3): 233–252.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Lukin, A. 2020. The Russia-China entente and its future. International Politics 58: 363–380.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Kay, S. 2000. What is a strategic partnership? Problems of Post-Communism 47 (3): 15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Papageorgiou, M.M., and A. Vieira. 2021. A friend in need? The Sino-Russian relationship under the coronavirus crisis in twitter: A Russian perspective. East Asia 38: 225–247.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Ferguson, C. 2012. The strategic use of soft balancing: the normative dimensions of the Chinese–Russian ‘strategic partnership’. Journal of Strategic Studies 35 (2): 197–222.

  51. Chaziza, M. 2014. Soft balancing strategy in the Middle East: Chinese and Russian vetoes in the United Nations Security Council in the Syria crisis. China Report 50 (3): 243–258.

  52. Dittmer, L. 2005. The Sino-Japanese-Russian triangle. Journal of Chinese Political Science 10: 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02877005

  53. Korolev, A. 2016. Systemic balancing and regional hedging: China-Russia relations. The Chinese Journal of International Politics 9 (4): 375–397.

    Google Scholar 

  54. Samokhvalov, V. 2018. Russia and its shared neighbourhoods: A comparative analysis of Russia-EU and Russia-China relations in the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood and Central Asia. Contemporary Politics 24 (1): 30–45.

    Google Scholar 

  55. Wishnick, E. 2018. The Sino-Russian partnership and the east Asian order. Asian Perspective 42 (3): 355–386.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Malle, S. 2008. Economic transformation in Russia and China: How do we compare success? Eurasian geography and economics 49 (4): 410–444.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Broadus, R.N. 1987. Toward a definition of “bibliometrics” Scientometrics 12 (5–6): 373–379.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Aria, M., and C. Cuccurullo. 2017. bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of informetrics 11 (4): 959–975.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Zupic, I., and T. Čater. 2015. Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods 18 (3): 429–472.

    Google Scholar 

  60. Holsti, K.J. 1985. The dividing discipline: hegemony and diversity in international theory. Boston: Allen & Unwin.

  61. Wæver, O. 1998. The sociology of a not so international discipline: American and European developments in international relations. International organization 52: 687–727.

    Google Scholar 

  62. Anwar, M.A., Z. Rongting, W. Dong, and F. Asmi. 2018. Mapping the knowledge of national security in 21st century a bibliometric study. Cogent Social Sciences 4 (1): 1542944.

    Google Scholar 

  63. Sillanpää, A., and T. Koivula. 2010. Mapping conflict research: A bibliometric study of contemporary scientific discourses. International Studies Perspectives 11 (2): 148–171.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Liu, X., S. Hong, and Y. Liu. 2012. A bibliometric analysis of 20 years of globalization research: 1990–2009. Globalizations 9 (2): 195–210.

    Google Scholar 

  65. Jensen, M.D., and P.M. Kristensen. 2013. The elephant in the room: Mapping the latent communication pattern in European Union studies. Journal of European Public Policy 20 (1): 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  66. Gordon, A. 2010. Can terrorism become a scientific discipline? A diagnostic study. Critical Studies on Terrorism 3 (3): 437–458.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Shahriar, S. 2019. Literature survey on the “Belt and Road” initiative: A bibliometric analysis. Foreign business in China and opportunities for technological innovation and sustainable economics, 79–115.

  68. Moiwo, J.P., and F. Tao. 2013. The changing dynamics in citation index publication position China in a race with the USA for global leadership. Scientometrics 95 (3): 1031–1050.

    Google Scholar 

  69. Zhang, Z., J.E. Rollins, and E. Lipitakis. 2018. China’s emerging centrality in the contemporary international scientific collaboration network. Scientometrics 116 (2): 1075–1091.

    Google Scholar 

  70. Liu, W., G. Hu, L. Tang, and Y. Wang. 2015. China’s global growth in social science research: Uncovering evidence from bibliometric analyses of SSCI publications (1978–2013). Journal of informetrics 9 (3): 555–569.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Zhou, P., B. Thijs, and W. Glänzel. 2009. Is China also becoming a giant in social sciences? Scientometrics 79 (3): 593–621.

    Google Scholar 

  72. Mikhaylov, A.S., A.A. Mikhaylova, V.K. Singh, & D.V. Hvaley. 2020. Knowledge Geography for Measuring the Divergence in Intellectual Capital of Russia. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 18(2).

  73. Markusova, V., L. Mindeli, A. Libkind, A. Zolotova, and M. Akoev. 2020. Comparative analysis of Russian and industrialized countries performance on energy and fuels, WoS, 2008–2017. Scientometrics 123: 1281–1300.

    Google Scholar 

  74. Oleinik, A. 2012. Publication patterns in Russia and the West compared. Scientometrics 93 (2): 533–551.

    Google Scholar 

  75. Marshakova-Shaikevich, I.V. 2013. Bibliometric analysis of Russian and Chinese publications on modernization in DBs web of science. Sociology of Science and Technology 13 (1): 102–112.

    Google Scholar 

  76. Bornmann, L., C. Wagner, and L. Leydesdorff. 2015. BRICS countries and scientific excellence: A bibliometric analysis of most frequently cited papers. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology 66 (7): 1507–1513.

    Google Scholar 

  77. Finardi, U. 2015. Scientific collaboration between BRICS countries. Scientometrics 102 (2): 1139–1166.

    Google Scholar 

  78. Skalamera, M. 2018. Understanding Russia’s energy turn to China: Domestic narratives and national identity priorities. Post-Soviet Affairs 34 (1): 55–77.

    Google Scholar 

  79. Wang, X., S. Xu, Z. Wang, et al. 2013. International scientific collaboration of China: Collaborating countries, institutions and individuals. Scientometrics 95: 885–894.

    Google Scholar 

  80. Mathews, A.L., and K. Andersen. 2001. A gender gap in publishing? Women’s representation in edited political science books. PS Political Science & Politics 34 (1): 143–147.

    Google Scholar 

  81. Breuning, M., and K. Sanders. 2007. Gender and journal authorship in eight prestigious political science journals. PS Political Science & Politics 40 (2): 347–351.

    Google Scholar 

  82. Teele, D.L., and K. Thelen. 2017. Gender in the journals: Publication patterns in political science. PS Political Science & Politics 50 (2): 433–447.

    Google Scholar 

  83. Wilson, J. L. 2015. Soft power: A comparison of discourse and practice in Russia and China. Europe-Asia Studies 67 (8): 1171–1202.

  84. Korolev, A., & Portyakov, V. (2018). China-Russia Relations in Times of Crisis: A Neoclassical Realist Explanation. Asian Perspective 42 (3): 411–437.

  85. Wishnick, E. 2001. Russia and China: Brothers again? Asian Survey 41 (5): 797–821.

    Google Scholar 

  86. Wishnick, E. 2017. In search of the ‘other’ in Asia: Russia-China relations revisited. The Pacific Review 30 (1): 114–132.

    Google Scholar 

  87. Ferdinand, P. 2007. Russia and China: Converging responses to globalization. International Affairs 83 (4): 655–680.

    Google Scholar 

  88. Ferdinand, P. 2007. Sunset, sunrise: China and Russia construct a new relationship. International Affairs 83 (5): 841–867.

    Google Scholar 

  89. Rozman, G. 1998. Sino-Russian relations in the 1990s: A balance sheet. Post-Soviet Affairs 14 (2): 93–113.

    Google Scholar 

  90. Kerr, D. 1998. Problems in Sino-Russian economic relations. Europe Asia Studies 50 (7): 1133–1156.

    Google Scholar 

  91. Egghe, L. 2006. Theory and practise of the g-index. Scientometrics 69 (1): 131–152.

    Google Scholar 

  92. Hirsch, J.E. 2005. An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102 (46): 16569–16572.

    Google Scholar 

  93. Roh, K. 2019. Different versions of romance: recent studies on Sino-Russian relations. Journal of Chinese Political Science 24: 533–541.

    Google Scholar 

  94. Dunne, T., L. Hansen, and C. Wight. 2013. The end of International relations theory? European Journal of International Relations 19 (3): 405–425.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The study was supported by the Research Center in Political Science (CICP) (UIDB/CPO/00758/2020), and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    Maria Mary Papageorgiou

  2. Department of Political Science, School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    Alena Vieira

Authors
  1. Maria Mary Papageorgiou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alena Vieira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Mary Papageorgiou.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Papageorgiou, M.M., Vieira, A. Mapping the Literature on China and Russia in IR and Area Studies: A Bibliometric Analysis (1990–2019). J OF CHIN POLIT SCI 27, 155–181 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-021-09768-x

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-021-09768-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation