Economic Trends and Domestic Debates of Russia

I. The Deep Roots of Economic Fluctuation in Russia 1. Russia＇s economic downturn in the first half of 2013 At a State Duma meeting in September 2013, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announced that the Russian economy had grown by 4 percent in the first half of 2013 and was projected to grow by 2.1 percent in the second half of the year. Shortly thereafter, international financial organizations revised their 2013 and 2014 projections for the Russian economy.

DUALITY AND CONTEMPORARY ROUTE OF RUSSIA-EUROPE RELATIONS

In historical perspective, Russia-Europe relations are always an .important aspect in world process affecting the overall situation. Ever since Russia was involved in European affairs as a major country, a phenomenon has kept repeating itself： major readjustments of relations between Russia and European countries almost always have led to reconstruction of the international system. In the early 19th century, the changing friend and foe relations between Russia and France, Britain, Austria and Prussia led to collapse of the Napoleon Empire and the establishment of the Vienna System.

Russia＇s Middle East Strategy： Features, Background and Prospects

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century,changes took place in the international strategic landscape,with the ability of the West to dominate world affairs widely questioned in the wake of the global financial crisis.And following the series of regime changes that the United States and some European countries pushed in the name of"revolutions"in the Middle East,North Africa and members of the

China and Central Asian Countries Jointly Building the Digital Silk Road:Foundations,Challenges and Paths

In recent years,Central Asian countries have generally adopted the digital economy as a new impetus and new direction for building a modern economic system and promoting the high-quality development of their economies,and have been actively conducting relevant international cooperation.Since Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated the joint construction of the Digital Silk Road at the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation,Central Asian countries have responded positively.Cooperation in the digital economy is likely to become the most promising new area for China and Central Asian countries to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and improve the level of regional economic development.Therefore,in order to better promote bilateral cooperation,it is necessary to carry out an in-depth discussion on the foundations of cooperation as well as challenges which China and the Central Asian countries face when jointly building the Digital Silk Road.

Economic Cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization:Achievements and Prospects

Over the two decades since its founding,the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO),in the spirit of pragmatism and unity,has made remarkable achievements in the three pillars of security cooperation,economic cooperation,and cultural and people-to-people exchanges,“setting an example for a new type of international relations that features mutual respect,equity,justice and win-win cooperation”and becoming“a major constructive force in the Eurasian region and global affairs.”

Russia's Strategy in Middle East: Attributes, Background and Prospects

Over the years,the US and Europe have contributed to a series of regime changes in the name of 'revolutions' in the Middle East,North Africa and former Soviet Union,which leads to aftershocks of revolution emerging from time to time.Against this background,Russia enters a new phase of allround adjustment of its strategy in the Middle East based on years

The Creative Development of Chinese Diplomatic Theory for the New Era

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC),socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.Xi Jinping,as General Secretary of the CPC who stands at a new historical starting point and keeping the“two centenary goals”1 in mind,has formulated a series of new concepts,new proposals and new initiatives,which constitute the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.2 The Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy reflects dialectical and historical materialism and contains the philosophical thought of the finest traditional Chinese culture.Based on the scientific judgement of China’s historical orientation and the prevailing trend of world development,the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy advocates a group of ideas such as“profound changes unseen in a century,”“a community with a shared future for mankind,”“global network of partnerships,”and“jointly building the Belt and Road.”The Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy thus meets the requirements dictated by the nature and direction of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and has greatly enriched the theories of Chinese diplomacy and of international relations.

THE CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 70-YEAR CHINA-RUSSIA RELATIONS

China and Russia(Soviet Union),for 70 years since establishing diplomatic relations,have developed highly mature major-power relations with strong“endogenous power”and are poised to play a critical role in pushing forward steady development of the international landscape.As China-Russia relations are gaining more weight and unprecedented attention,it is imperative to further interpret and analyze this pair of bilateral relations.Only with such understanding can we steer the China-Russia relations to serve as a stabilizer and reformer in the contemporary world of diverse public opinions.

Reflections on the Issue of ISIS

The Islamic State,also known as ISIS or ISIL,is the most extreme manifestation of a Muslim response to the history of the past few centuries.The mystery of ISIS attracts both academic scholars and political decision-makers to debate drastically.This essay attempts to illuminate three issues of ISIS:the nature of ISIS,the relationship between ISIS and European Muslims,and US strategy towards ISIS.Firstly,ISIS is much more a terrorist organization than a functioning terrorist political entity.Secondly,the phenomenon of many European Muslims joining and fighting for ISIS has numerous reasons:not only because of the failure of the top-down integration policies of European countries,but also the bottom-up maladjustment of European Muslims;not only on account of the internal structural problems on the identity,but also the external stimulating factors,such as“anti-Islamism”or“Islamophobia”.Thirdly,in the guidance of its“ambiguous”strategy towards ISIS,US implements“multilateral”policies and“limited”measures against ISIS.In conclusion,this essay analyzes the impacts of ISIS on the regional and international order as well as its security.