“Belt and Road” in the eyes of Russian mass media organizations. Based on example of “Izvestia” daily broadsheet newspaper

This article’s analysis is based on qualitative research and quantitative analysis of word recurrence in Russian daily broadsheet newspaper “Izvestia” and its attitude to the “Belt and Road Initiative” from suspicion and doubt to recognition. Newspaper “Izvestia” is a soviet-russian socio-political and business newspaper founded in January 1917. At the present moment the newspaper has a positive and optimistic attitude towards the “Belt and Road Initiative”. The newspaper advocates the current strategic integration of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, which provides invaluable opportunities for the development of China and Russia. The framework of journalistic coverage mainly consists of two primary themes: “challenge and opposition of the initiative” and “strategic relations”. The newspaper propagates the idea that Sino-Russian relations will successfully develop and will help to improve the Eurasian region. “Izvestia” newspaper also publishes articles about the US attitude towards the “Belt and Road Initiative”.