Psychological and Cultural Analysis of Attitude to Entrepreneurship in Russia and China

The article considers the attitude to entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurs as a social group in society, which is one of the factors of formation of economic self-determination of entrepreneurs at the present time, from the position of interdisciplinary approach in the context of historical, cultural, psychological analyses. The values of Chinese and Russian business culture were influenced by traditional religious attitudes in these countries. Theoretical analysis showed that in Chinese culture the attitude to entrepreneurship was more stable and positive, the basis of entrepreneurship is rationality, pragmatism, compliance with social hierarchy. Incoherent images are rather inherent for the Russian culture; thus, the stereotype of the entrepreneur was endowed with negative qualities, both in pre-revolutionary times, and in the Soviet period, changes towards positive side emerged only in the 2000s. The article summarizes the empirical data on the prevailing value judgments regarding such economic categories as wealth, poverty, money, as well as the formed stereotypical images of the entrepreneur. According to Russian respondents, a positive and rational attitude to money dominates, but along with positive associations, the negative ones are vividly expressed, such as: dependence, cynicism, conflict, hopelessness, retrenchment, need, quarrels, crisis, etc. From the Chinese respondents’ point of view, money and wealth are values, on which status and credibility depend, and are associated with nobility and humanity. According to Russian and Chinese respondents, the stereotype of the mo­dern entrepreneur is characterized by the following qualities: respectful for people, communicative, cooperative, critical thinking, selective, rather independent, serious, intelligent.

On the Problem of Mediatization of Intra-Territorial Conflicts in China: A Historiographic Aspect

This article explores the role of the media in covering the conflict potential of mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The aim of the study is to analyze the media’s influence on the transformation of public opinion on issues of ethnic or territorial identity. Based on Chinese and Western media coverage, the reasons for unbalanced coverage of intra-territorial conflicts as well as the impact of stereotypes on political behaviour are identified. On the basis of the analysis the role of specific media in neutralizing the intra-regional conflict potential is determined, as well as the peculiarities of the technology of public opinion molding on the part of mainland China.

Chinas Economic Presence and Political Influence in Eastern Europe

In recent years, the media and expert discourse have widely spread perceptions of China’s dynamic expansion of its economic presence in Central and Eastern Europe and the accompanying increase in Beijing’s political influence on the countries of the region. This perception is strongly encouraged by the position of certain Western European countries and the EU bureaucracy, which view China as an actor that undermines European solidarity and spreads illiberal values and business practices. The purpose of this article is to assess the real scale of China’s economic presence in Eastern Europe, based on an analysis of official statistics, and to determine the extent to which it converts into Beijing’s political influence over the countries of the region.

The Changing International Situation and Chinas Concept of Peripheral Diplomacy in the Context of the Epidemic

The COVID-19 virus has not just changed the mode of operation and way of life of all humanity, but has profoundly transformed the entire world, from the global political structure and economic environment to the models and methods of regional economic development. It has significantly influenced the content and timing of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, impacting the international situation and the implementation of inter-state relations. In this context, China, adhering to the five basic principles of peaceful coexistence, aims to enrich the diplomatic concept of «benevolence, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness» in relations with neighboring states in order to strengthen and deepen them. The article puts a special emphasis on Chinese-Russian relations. It argues that the priority tasks for the leadership of the two countries should include: developing options for generating new production chains; taking into account the widening «gap between poor and rich» countries, as well as changes in the global political landscape. The implementation of these tasks can act as a stabilizing factor for regional and international development, guarantee secure borders and become a shining example of inter-state relations for the rest of the neighboring countries.

On the Reasons of Chinas Stable Economic Development in the XX - XXI Centuries

As is well known, the global economy is a flexible system of relationships between its key actors, and it is directly subject to the constant impact of both internal and external factors. Among the latter are the processes of globalization, integration, liberalization, transnationalization and others. They fundamentally change the rules of organization and conduct of international economic relations. Those countries that were able to duly assess the scale of imminent changes and flexibly respond to them by adjusting national macroeconomic policies were able to take leading positions in the structure of the modern world order. A striking example of such a state is China, which, despite its catching-up type of development, has reached the level of developed countries in a number of indicators and has become one of the significant poles in the structure of the modern world order. The study conducted by the authors of the article showed that the PRC managed to achieve such a result due to the competent reforms initiated in the 1970s by Deng Xiaoping and still ongoing taking into account best world practices. The country’s leadership’s choice of the IT sector as a flagship for further progressive development of the country’s economy has already brought China significant benefits of a strategic nature.

Features of Perception of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Slovak Republic

The article is part of the research related to the perception of the Belt and Road Initiative of the PRC in the Visegrad Group countries. It presents results of discourse analysis on perception of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Slovak Republic in government and expert circles and data from a sociological survey on the attitude of Slovaks to the Chinese initiative. The results show that the Slovak perception of the Belt and Road Initiative is pragmatic and focuses on possible economic benefits from participation in the initiative. The experts are not oblivious to the political and economic risks associated with China’s expanding influence in the region, which makes the Slovak discourse rather balanced and utilitarian. The Slovak expert discourse has been found to have a significant influence on the pragmatic sentiments in the Visegrad Group countries regarding the Belt and Road Initiative. The independent think tank of the Central European Institute for Asian Studies (CEIAS) plays a major role in the transmission of these ideas, producing a number of analytical reports and actively engaging researchers from the Visegrad Four countries in its work. As for the governmental discourse, the Chinese theme is present in it to a limited extent; in recent years there have been several cases that have divided the views of the ruling elite regarding Sino-Slovak relations. In general, these have concerned human rights issues and interaction with the Dalai Lama and the resulting problem of whether it is worth raising sensitive issues and criticising the PRC at the state level to the detriment of economic ties. In conclusion, the author describes the main trends and forecasts of the development of the Slovak discourse about the Chinese initiative.

Mongolian Studies in the Czech Republic: Personalities, Centers, Current State

Nowadays, improving international relations and strengthening international ties are leading trends in the development of world economy. In the epoch of globalization, both western and eastern countries are trying to promote close mutually profitable partnership relations between countries, because it can serve as a trigger for their further gradual development. As it can be observed in the practice, in the 21st century, the dialogue between the developed European countries and the actively developing East is becoming especially successful and efficient for both parties. One of the unique examples of the interest of the West towards the East is the development of Oriental and Mongolian studies in the Czech Republic. Its climax can be observed in the 20th century. The author of the article proves that contemporary Mongolian studies in the Czech Republic play a significant role in European Oriental studies. Analysis of the scientific contribution of the leading Czech specialists in Mongolian studies: P. Poucha, Lumir Iisl, Ya. Vacek, I. Shima, I. Grollova is conducted. A brief description of the current state of Mongolian studies in Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic is given. The author draws a conclusion about the presence of scientific interest towards Mongolian linguistics and culture in Europe, which contributes to strengthening cultural identity of Mongolia. On the basis of continuity of research and the presence of an original scientific school of Mongolian studies in the Czech Republic, the author makes an assumption about the possibility of extending research of the issues of economy and economic geography of Mongolia, which will, undoubtedly, contribute to strengthening the relations between the countries.

A New Monograph on the History of the Russian-Chinese Border

The article is a review of the monograph by Alexander L. Anisimov and Alexander P. Kostyuchenko «The Demarcation of the Russian-Chinese Border in the Far East and the Participation of Border Guard Services in It: Historical Experience and the Present». The book highlights the problems of the history of border treaties, issues of demarcation and delimitation of the Russian-Chinese border, reflects the process of solving the border problem in the late XX — early XXI centuries.

The Importance of Border Checkpoints of Goods of Inner Mongolia for the Development of Cross-Border Relations of Peoples Republic of China

The article considers the system of operating border checkpoints of a large region in the north of China - the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The author emphasizes the growing importance of the Manchuria and Erlian land checkpoints, through which not only the whole variety of goods of Russian-Chinese and Chinese-Mongolian trade passes, but also international transit is provided. The remaining checkpoints, on the contrary, acquire a narrow specialization or have local significance for border territories. The development of border checkpoints, such as Sehe, Ganzmod and Mandal, is associated exclusively with the development of mineral deposits in the south of Mongolia and their subsequent export to China. In the context of a pandemic, the countries are forced to strengthen the barrier function of borders by tightening quarantine measures, which affects directly the operation of border checkpoints. The information provided on the border points of Inner Mongolia can become the basis for analyzing China’s opportunities to develop trade cooperation across the borders of Inner Mongolia.

Chinas Experience in Combating Desertification and Greenifyng the Country: History, Outcomes and Prospects

In the 21st century, despite the international community’s activism in addressing global problems, environmental issues continue to be of particular relevance. The state of the environment, as never before, becomes decisive at the most important stage of implementation of the macroeconomic policy of the state - determination of its strategic development goals. The period of industrialization has left a legacy of air pollution, land degradation, desertification and deforestation on the planet, both for knowledge-intensive, post-industrialized developed countries and for developing ones that continue to rely on raw materials. Ignoring them could block any alternatives of further economic development of national economies and increase their human capital. China is a striking example of a country, whose leaders at the end of the last century began to pay serious attention to environmental issues, first of all, to combating desertification and the subsequent implementation of forestation programs in the country. Thanks to its sound environmental policy, China has succeeded in increasing the proportion of its forest cover from 8,6 % in 1949 to 23,04 % by 2020. The purpose of the article is to provide a retrospective analysis of the complex activities in various provinces and regions of China aimed at transforming the country into a green space. Adopting the relevant experience of other countries could be a trigger in settling the still burning environmental issue.