Studying the Russian Language in China: Historical Background, Current State, Problems and Prospects

The relevance of this research is underpinned by the importance of supporting and promoting the Russian language as an instrument of the Russian Federation’s humanitarian policy abroad, coupled with the strategic signi cance of the comprehensive partnership of our country with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Against the backdrop of rapidly intensifying Russian-Chinese relations, the training of highly quali ed Chinese specialists pro cient in Russian has emerged as a critical factor for e ective cooperation in economic, scienti c, technological and cultural spheres. In this context, the purpose of this article is to evaluate the current state of Russian language education in China. In this research the authors employed a combination of general scienti c and historical methods. The foundation was formed by the historical and problem-chronological methods and approaches. The history of Russian language learning in China spans over three centuries, commencing with the establishment of the Russian Language Institution in Beijing in 1708. A peak in popularity of Russian language study occurred in the 1950s, fueled by the Soviet-Chinese alliance relations, followed by a decline during the subsequent deterioration of bilateral ties. A renewed phase of growth began after China introduced its reform and opening-up policy in 1978, gaining further momentum with the development of the strategic partnership between Russia and China at the beginning of the 21st century. At present, the Russian language maintains a stable position as one of the most sought-after foreign languages in China, trailing only English and Japanese in terms of prevalence. The Chinese Association of Teachers of the Russian Language and Literature plays a leading role in consolidating the community of Russists and providing methodological support. The authors highlight several key challenges, including the persistence of outdated teaching methodologies prioritizing grammatical accuracy over communicative competence; a de cit of contemporary teaching materials; the geographical concentration of Russian language centers in Northeast China and the limited career prospects for Russian studies graduates lacking supplementary specializations. As a viable solution, the study proposes a wider adoption of the “Language + Specialty” model. This approach cultivates specialists who possess not only Russian language pro ciency but also competencies in speci c professional elds (e.g., economics, law, technical sciences), thereby better aligning with the demands of Russian-Chinese practical cooperation.