China and Russia’s Fraught Relations

From the mid-19^th century to the final years of the Cold War, Russia was strong and China was weak. Thereafter the tables turned, with China strong and Russia weak. During the period of Russian dominance, from the mid-19^th century through the Korean War, Russia convinced Chinese leaders to take actions that benefited Russia but ultimately undermined China. This seminar will lay out these many instances of Russian “script-writing” that proved so detrimental to China. It will conclude by examining the contemporary implications.

Sarah C. M. Paine, Ph.D., is William S. Sims University professor of history and grand strategy in the maritime history department of the U.S. Naval War College. She is a prolific, award-winning author, compiling 10 years of research in Australia, China, Japan, Russia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom to form the basis for numerous publications. Among these are: “The Japanese Empire,” “Wars for Asia, 1911-1949” and “Imperial Rivals: China, Russia and Their Disputed Frontier.” She has also written “Nation Building, State Building, and Economic Development,” “Modern China: Continuity and Change 1644 to the Present,” as well as five naval books, including “Naval Blockades and Seapower: Strategies and Counter-Strategies 1805-2005” and “New Theaters of Naval Warfare.” Most recently she co-edited “From Quills to Tweets: How America Communicates about War and Revolution.” Sarah’s degrees include a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Harvard University, an M.I.A. from Columbia University School for International and Public Affairs, and M.A. in Russian from Middlebury College and a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. She is currently working on a history of the Cold War.