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Quest for Status: Chinese and Russian Foreign Policy

Online ISBN:
9780300245158
Print ISBN:
9780300236040
Publisher:
Yale University Press
Book

Quest for Status: Chinese and Russian Foreign Policy

Deborah Welch Larson,
Deborah Welch Larson
University of California, Los Angeles
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Alexei Shevchenko
Alexei Shevchenko
California State University, Fullerton
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Published online:
19 September 2019
Published in print:
26 February 2019
Online ISBN:
9780300245158
Print ISBN:
9780300236040
Publisher:
Yale University Press

Abstract

This book argues that the desire for world status plays a key role in shaping the foreign policies of China and Russia. Applying social identity theory—the idea that individuals derive part of their identity from larger communities—to nations, the book contends that China and Russia have used various modes of emulation, competition, and creativity to gain recognition from other countries, and thus validate their respective identities. To make this argument, the book analyzes numerous cases, including Catherine the Great's attempts to westernize Russia, China's identity crises in the nineteenth century, and both countries' responses to the end of the Cold War. The book employs a multifaceted method of measuring status, factoring in influence and inclusion in multinational organizations, military clout, and cultural sway, among other considerations. Combined with historical precedent, this socio-psychological approach helps explain current trends in Russian and Chinese foreign policy.

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