Abstract

Maintaining the national interest is both one of the fundamental principals for one country in formulating and implementing its foreign policy, and is the starting point and ultimate goal in its foreign activities. In theory, the national interest decides one country's domestic and foreign policies. Nevertheless, one country's foreign policy is, in reality, always dependent on its concept of national interest. The national interest is objective because whenever one tries to explain it, misunderstandings may arise. Such misunderstandings will inevitably make decision-makers, with the goal of upholding the national interest grounded in the understanding of their own, adopt measures that don't always necessarily contribute to their national interest.

The concept of national interest is both one of the fundamental concepts for one country's ruling group in defining its national interest, and is one kind of methodology with which the ruling group, in the name of people, maintains and realizes its national interest by various methods and means. The national interest is objective, the country's concept is the subjective of objective existence. Whenever one tries to explain it, misunderstandings may arise. Such misunderstandings will inevitably make decision-makers, with the goal of upholding the national interest grounded in the understanding of their own, adopt measures that don't always necessarily contribute to their national interest. Therefore, whether or not the national interest accurately can be judged is the base that a country can formulate its foreign policy correctly.

The formulating of concept of the national interest mainly depends on two factors: Objectively, it is influenced by international circumstances, national strengths, and level of scientific and technological development; Subjectively, one country's orientation for its development, choices of its role in international arena, judgement for the international situation, and means by which one country realizes its national interest, all of these may make impacts on formulating of concept of the national interest. In addition, one country's ethnic characteristics, geological circumstances, and character of its rulers may also be one of the most important determinants of its concept of national interest.

This book explores Russia's foreign policy from the perspective of the evolution of Russia's concept of its national interest since it gets independed. The book includes such seven parts as introduction, main text, and conclusion.

The first chapter analyzes the relationship of national interest and the concept of national interest. In this chapter, I define the terms of national interest and concept of national interest and make a distinction between the both. Furthermore, I make an emphasis on the four basic determinants of the concept of national interest, and briefly introduce the several development stages of Russia's concept of national interest since its independence.

The second chapter makes an analysis of Russia's concept of national interest and its foreign policy in the period of“Russia's totally leaning to the West”. In this period, Russia chose the West mode as its development path, acknowledged America's leadership in world affairs, and was willing to be one of America's“little brothers”. The“Pro-west”group in Russia tried to recover Russian economy quickly, would like to be integrated into the Western Community as soon as possible, relying on the western countries to realize its economic recovery. In this same period, Russia wished to push forward its transitional process smoothly by following the development path of the West; wished to be one of the major powers as soon as possible by seeking to establish equal partnership with the developed countries in the West; wished to secure an favorable international environment for its domestic economic development by strengthening its cooperation with the West. From the perspective of Russia's concept of national interest in this period, the chapter analysizes Russia's diplomatic behavior by case studies and concludes that Russia's foreign policy in this period was too idealistic and excessively emphasized ideology. Russia's foreign policy of“totally leaning to the West”in this period impaired its national interest.

The third chapter points out that Russia had to begin reorienting its foreign policy from“totally leaning to the West”to“seeking to be one of the major poles in a multi-polar world”, because the western countries led by the U. S. had not actually followed their promises of providing economic aids for Russia and were constantly pressing Russia's strategic space. In this period, Russia preserved its reform fruits by continued pursuing its liberal democracy; strengthened its status of being one of the major powers by seeking to establish a multi-polar world; and viewed NATO's eastward expansion and regional separatism as its major threats. This chapter indicates that Russia began seeking to be one of the major poles in a multi-polar world, was not willing to be submitted to the western countries'leadership, and began its struggle with the western countries on such significant issues as NATO's eastward expansion, nuclear disarmament between Russia and the U. S. , and the Kosovo conflict, etc. However, Russia's national interest had been hurted because of the imbalance between the goals of Russia's foreign policy and its national strengthen.

The fourth chapter mainly illustrates Russia's concept of national interest and foreign policy in the period that Russia sought to establish the anti-terrorism partnership with the West. Since Putin took office, Russia's concept of national interest demonstrated the characteristic of having the economic interest as its central consideration and Russia's foreign strategy was more flexible and realistic than that of Yeltsin administration. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Russia provided active supports for the U. S. anti-terrorist war and sought to establish an anti-terrorist partnership with the West, with the goal of securing a peaceful and stable outside environment for its domestic economic development. This chapter points out that in this period Russia improved its relations with the U. S. by supporting America's antiterrorism war. However, Russia's concession had made its geopolitical situation deteriorate further. Nevertheless, The loss of Russia's national interest in this period was, for the most part, to choose the lesser between the two worst. All in all, in Putin's first tenure, Russia no longer struggled with the West to preserve its illusionary status of being a great power, rather, in most cases, Russia had pursued a“means of compromise”, so as to create a relatively stable and harmonious international environment for its domestic development.

The fifth chapter mainly illustrates Russia's concept of national interest and foreign policy in the period that Russia sought independent diplomacy. In order to preserve its own national interest and resist the pressure from the West which was led by the U. S. , Russia had begun firmly struggling with the West on many issues involved. With the strengthening of its national power, Russia had begun countering the West. The“Color Revolution”happened in Ukraine had made Russia realized the western countries'intention of containing and weakening Russia was still intense. To prevent the extreme liberal trend of thought hinder its economic development, the Putin administration strengthened its control of domestic politics and put forward the so-called“sovereign democracy”. The Russia-U. S. bilateral relationship was rapidly worsened because America planned to deploy the anti-missile defensive system in central and east Europe. Given all of this, Russia recognized that only by developing in its own way, Russia can move into a road of peace and prosperity.

Chapter six analyzes national interests and diplomatic policy since Medvedev became president of Russia. The United States deployed anti-missile defense system in Middle Eastern Europe, and Georgia wanted to join NATO after unify the homeland through the use of force. These pose a great threat to Russia, in order to safeguard national security interests, Medvedev countered it at an unprecedented hardball. He sent troops to Georgia, and then deployed Iskander in Kaliningrad Oblast. Facing the threat of sanctions from the United States and other Western countries, Russia plays the energy and spacecraft, and the United States and other Western countries can not react rashly. in order to get rid of the economic crisis as soon as possible, Russia has actively adjust the relationship with the United States and European countries, and finally came to an agreement with the United States on the reduction of strategic weapons. Meanwhile, Russia strengthened relations with the BRICs countries and Southeast Asian countries to expand its influence. On the issue of territorial disputes with Japan, Medvedev took a tough stance, became the first national leader who visited the northern territory. From the above, we can find out pragmatic and flexible is Medvedev's diplomatic style.

Chapter seven expounds China's peaceful development strategy, and the change of the Russian national interest on two country's relations and the influence of China's peaceful development. It points out that the choice of peaceful development is the results of summing up the past experience lessons in China and world, is the heritage of Chinese traditional culture, and is the inevitable choice of China's development. During Yeltsin years, China-Russia relations experienced several cool, friendly and honeymoon phase. During the administration of Putin, though the relations were ups and downs, but overall relatively stable. In Medvedev's four years, China-Russia relations were developing steadily, achieved the best level in history. The reason of relations change is mainly due to Russia's national interest's change at different stages. Throughout Russia's policy towards China, in general, the relations between two countries on the rise, it is basically conducive to the implementation of the strategy of China's peaceful development. But there was capriciousness appeared, the main reason is suspicion and contradiction of national interests.

The conclusion part points out that any judgment of national interest is affected by various factors such as domestic, international, ethnic, and cultural ones, as well as the character of one country's top leader, his capability to make judgment, and his mode of thought. In Russia, the top leader's personality will has made more influences on its domestic and foreign policy because its president was more dominant and powerful than that of others. What's more, the dramatic changes in Russia's concept of national interest were related to inter-perceptions between Russia and the West, and their respective understanding of the behavior of each other. The misunderstanding of other countries' defensive policy as threats to its own national interest was one of the main reasons why the relationship between Russia and the West worsened. As a large country and the biggest one next to China, Russia's foreign policy adjustment will influence China, handling the relationship between Russia will be the important strategic initiatives of China's peaceful development. Only if understand Russia, understand the national interest of Russia, then we can take measures in time, avoid risk, protect China's national interest.

Keywords: National Interest; Concept of National Interest; Russia; China;Peaceful Development