NO EVIDENT FANDOM FOR XI IN RUSSIA
Less clear is how willing Russians are to embrace cultural ties with China. Russian social media is not a closed box like China’s is, and nor does it have the same level of state control (although that level of control is quickly rising). Russians also still use Western social media such as Instagram at a high rate.
But within Russian social media such as VK and Telegram, there is no evident fandom for Xi in the same way that there is for Putin on Chinese platforms.
Xi’s online reputation is a little more dignified on Russian social media than it is in the West – way less Winnie-the-Pooh references – but it is still rather lacklustre. When searching Xi Jinping on VK, one of the first groups that come up is titled “Is Xi Jinping dead yet.”
This may be explained in part due to Putin’s long-standing effort to craft a cult of personality in support of his rule, while in comparison Xi has made efforts to keep his real personality as low key as possible, to better personify himself as the will of the Party. That doesn’t make for simple memes.
As for China as a whole, while again its image in Russia is more positive than it is in Western social media, it is still treated as the other. Even when championing the relationship, the far-right Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin states that China and Russia are two distinctly different cultures, and he is not alone in his feeling.
Russia’s awkward embrace of its Asian roots has been an issue dating back to the time of the tsars. It is a psychologically difficult transition. The war with Ukraine may finally drive a cultural change. China seems ready – but only if you believe what’s said.
Evan Freidin is an international relations analyst. This commentary first appeared on Lowy Institute’s blog, The Interpreter.