The Role of Russia and China in Shaping the Integration Contours of the Greater Eurasian Partnership

Abstract

In light of Russia’s goal to strengthen economic ties with EAEU members and key partners, an essential research task is to examine how the resources of Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) participants complement each other, as resource complementarity directly shapes the partnership’s integration patterns. This study aims to substantiate the key contours of GEP integration and assess the respective contributions of Russia and China to its development. The underlying hypothesis is that their cooperation acts as a driving force behind the GEP. The GEP is conceptualized as a distinctive form of “civilizational partnership,” which enhances the roles of Russia and China in the Eurasian space. Using methods of economic-geographical, statistical, historical, and logical analysis, the study systematizes EAEU agreements with external partners and examines the geographical and sectoral contours of the GEP. It also evaluates the roles of Russia and China within this framework. The study demonstrates how Russia and China are advancing an inter-civilizational partnership across Eurasia. It identifies the levels of integration intensity across key spheres of cooperation within the GEP: natural resources and energy, food, technology, human capital, R&D, infrastructure, and monetary-financial systems. The analysis highlights significant economic complementarity between Russia and China, alongside a notable imbalance favouring China. This disparity is especially pronounced in the technological sector, where China holds 69.9 % of manufacturing capacities compared to Russia’s 4.1 %; in R&D, with China accounting for 95.4 % of patent applications versus Russia’s 1.3 %; and in infrastructure, where China controls 60.6 % of container port traffic compared to Russia’s 1.2 %. These integration advantages should be harnessed to shape the future development of the GEP. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to redefine Russian-Chinese cooperation by taking into account each country’s economic strengths and to leverage advanced manufacturing technologies that enhance energy, food, technological, and infrastructure security. These findings may inform policy planning and economic cooperation strategies between Russia and its international partners.