The Growth Of Russian Agricultural Exports To China After 2014: An International Political And Economic Perspective

This study analyzes the current situation of Russia’s agricultural exports to China after 2014 from the perspective of the international political economy and explores the reasons for Russia’s growth of agricultural exports to China and closer cooperation.Since the accession of Crimea to Russia in 2014,Russia’s relations with the West deteriorated and Russia began to change its internal and external policies to reduce the negative impact of the West’s sanctions policy against Russia.Russia has increased its foreign exports both in terms of domestic and foreign policies.On the one hand,Russia increased and modernized its production capacity for the main commodities subject to sanctions to adequately supply the country’s population with necessary domestic products;on the other hand,Russia shifted from an import-oriented economy to an export-oriented economy,including the growth of modernized domestic production to increase exports to other countries.Following the success of its domestic policy,its foreign economic policy underwent a dramatic change.Russia intensified its trade and investment cooperation with Asian countries(especially with China)to further diversify its trade partners.As a result,the number of trade and bilateral investment projects between Russia and China in many sectors of the economy has grown significantly,and as a result,Russian agricultural exports to China have been able to continue growing.The basis of the study is that Western economic sanctions and Russia’s choice of agricultural imports as a counter-sanctions tool have provided a strong incentive for domestic agricultural production support,import substitution,and "turning to the East".Second,the U.S.-China trade war and the deterioration of U.S.-China relations have pushed China to strengthen its strategic collaboration with Russia,especially in the area of agricultural trade,by removing non-tariff restrictions on Russian agricultural imports,especially in the context of the world economy in shock during the epidemic.Finally,based on strategic cooperation and mutual trust,China has created favorable conditions for Russian agricultural companies to enter the Chinese market for marketing purposes.In conclusion,all three aspects are based on international political factors and the changes that have driven the shift in agricultural production and trade policies,and consequently the growth of trade.The thesis consists of the following parts: firstly,the introduction,which reviews the research problem,research background,research purpose,research innovation,and literature.Chapter 1 is the theoretical basis,which mainly studies the theoretical issues through literature review: agricultural trade theory,agricultural protection policy,agricultural import substitution,export support policy and the influence of geopolitics on foreign economic relations.Chapter 2 examines the development of Russia’s agricultural exports to China,revealing the changes in the value and structure of Russia’s agricultural exports to China from 2013 to 2021.Chapter 3 analyzes the reasons for the surge in Russia’s agricultural exports to China,analyzing the main reasons for the growth of Russia’s agricultural exports to China,including Russia’s sanctions war with the West,the diversification of Russia’s trading partners,especially to Asia,as well as domestic reasons,including import substitution,moving from an import-oriented to an export-oriented country,and modernizing Russian agricultural exports to increase production.Chapter 4 is an analysis of the prospects for Russia’s growth of agricultural exports to China,mainly analyzing the future trend of Russian agricultural exports to China,pointing out that China and Russia have already established a solid foundation for further deepening trade cooperation between the two countries,and that external changes in the geopolitical sphere are providing additional impetus for such cooperation.Chapter 5 is a research conclusion and policy recommendations,summarizing the findings of the entire thesis and proposing policy directions for Russia’s growth of agricultural exports to China.