Transformation of China’s image in the Far Eastern press during the post-Soviet period (based on newspapers from Khabarovsk)

This article is dedicated to the study of the key meanings and perceptions of Russia’s eastern neighbor, its largest strategic partner in modern conditions - China, as established in Russian public consciousness. Drawing on materials from the press of Khabarovsk from 1999 to 2024, the author traces the transformation of the perception of Chinese partners by residents of the Russian Far East. Through an analysis of Khabarovsk newspapers over the past three decades, the researcher reveals that the image of the Chinese and China, which was perceived as irritating and concerning to residents of Russia’s Far Eastern regions at the turn of the 21st century, has shifted to a vaguely official attitude in the 2010s and 2020s. This shift is attributed to the pragmatic strategy adopted by the Russian state toward the People’s Republic of China. By the 2020s, China gradually emerges in Khabarovsk’s media as a preferred and desirable partner, with cooperation being seen as critical not only for the region’s economic prosperity but also for the political image of local authorities.