Sino-Russian cooperation in science and technology: A benefit or a harm?

Abstract

The issues of Sino-Russian cooperation in science and technology are the subject of the studies by both Russian and Chinese economists. However, there are still few works that systematise the main science and technology indicators (MSTI) of both countries and the impact of sanctions on the science and technology development. Filling this research gap is the goal of the present contribution. Methodologically, the paper is based on macroeconomic analysis. The methods include retrospective and comparative analysis, grouping, as well as SWOT analysis. The data were sourced from the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, the World Bank, and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. The paper identifies success factors behind China and Russia’s science and technology development and reveals that the common factor for both countries is high quality of human capital. The MSTI analysis of each country for the period of 2010–2021, such as the share of R&D expenditure in GDP, the ratio of patents issued on inventions to country’s workingage population, the share of high-tech exports and imports in GDP, international publication activity, etc. demonstrates national differences in their scale. The SWOT analysis of the Sino-Russian cooperation in science and technology shows that the main threat to the cooperation is the sanctions pressure. The authors conclude that such cooperation does not promote Russia’s science and technology development; moreover, it may itself put the country in jeopardy as it could turn into a resource appendage of the PRC. The findings can be useful in the development of road maps and strategies for the implementation of cooperation in science and technology between China and Russia.