Russia’s Turn to the East: A Postcolonial Perspective
Russia’s Turn to the East: A Postcolonial Perspective

Summary/Abstract: If assessed within the framework of a postcolonial approach to international relations,the debate about the current “turn to the East” in Russia’s foreign policy canbe reduced to the question of whether Russia, a rising power itself, is seekingcooperation with rising Asian powers that is grounded in mutual recognition asequal strategic partners or whether Russia is seeking easy tactical dominationover its Asian partners in order to improve its international performance vis-à-visWestern powers. This article references attempts of the former kind as a “turn tothe East”, and those of the latter kind as ‘condescension to the Orient’. We look forfactors that can influence foreign policy learning among the Russian elite towardsrecognising Russia’s “Eastern” partners as equally important as its potential Westernpartners. We pay special attention to changes in the attitudes of part of the Sovietelite in the 1980s, recent changes in the composition of the Russian elite, relationsamong member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, Russia’s relations with Asianpowers like Japan, China and India, and finally Russia’s approach to the situationon the Korean Peninsula. Having examined all those aspects, we conclude thatthere are factors that can result in a lasting “turn to the East” in Russian foreignpolicy rather than tactical “condescension to the Orient”, which is predicted to havedramatic consequences for Russia itself.

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