Reflection of Mikhail Gorbachev’s official visit to China in May 1989 in the Renmin Ribao newspaper

The article examines the materials of the Chinese press addressing Mikhail Gorbachev’s official visit to the People’s Chinese Republic in May 1989. The visit marked the full normalization of Soviet-Chinese relations and the beginning of a new stage in their development. The novelty of the study lies in the formulation of the problem: the interpretation of the events and results of the visit is studied through the prism of official rhetoric reflected in the Chinese press. The purpose of the article is to identify and analyze the key features of the coverage of the visit in the Chinese media landscape based on the materials of the Renmin Ribao, the official body of the CPC Central Committee. It is concluded that Gorbachev’s visit played a significant role in the transformation of China’s official rhetoric towards the USSR and various aspects of its policy. By the end of the 1980s, previously confrontational and ideological rhetoric had given way to a more balanced and pragmatic approach towards the Soviet Union, recognizing it as one of the most significant potential partners on the global stage.