Deepening the “Pivot to the East” policy in the context of anti-Russian sanctions: political significance of digital cooperation between China and Russia

in the context of comprehensive sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, the "Pivot to the East" strategy has become a key vector of Russian foreign policy. China, as one of the world leaders in digital technologies, occupies a central place in this strategy. This article analyzes the political significance of digital interaction between China and Russia, with an emphasis on its effectiveness and impact in technological, institutional and geopolitical dimensions. Through a study of the political prerequisites for the "Pivot to the East", an assessment of China's role in the implementation of this strategy and an analysis of the current state and challenges of digital cooperation, it is concluded that the digital sphere is becoming a new driver in the development of Russian-Chinese relations and plays a strategic role in the formation of an alternative – non-Western – model of international interaction. At the same time, it highlights such obstacles as structural imbalances, lack of institutional coherence and external uncertainty, which require both countries to build a sustainable, institutionalized and trust-based partnership model. The article argues that digital cooperation between China and Russia is not only of economic but also of political and strategic significance, reflecting institutional competition and the reorganization of the global governance system.

Sino-Russian relations, turn to the East, digital cooperation, One Belt, One Road, Eurasian partnership, digital sovereignty, geopolitics