Russian and Chinese Soft Power in North Macedonia
Institutional Activities of the Confucius Institute and Fond Russkiy Mir
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.23.2026.101.14Keywords:
public diplomacy, Confucius Institute, Fond Russkiy Mir, Ruski CentarAbstract
The Balkans, in the past and in present times, has always been of interest to the great powers, aiming at expanding their influence and presence. With this in consideration, the region became a terrain in which the presence of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation was also felt. North Macedonia is no exception in this regard, as a country that occupies an important position in the Balkans. The aim of the article is to evaluate Russian and Chinese soft power in the North Macedonia, namely a comparative look at the institutional activities of Confucius Institute and Russkiy Mir, ‘Ruski Centar’, which have been operating in this country for many years as a means of spreading Chinese and Russian culture and language. During the preparation of this research the ‘qualitative method’ was used, i.e. secondary sources (relevant Russian government sources and documents), although the historical, descriptive, comparative, and other methods have not been left aside.
References
An Luong N.D., “Comparing Vietnamese Responses to Chinese and American Public Diplomacy Efforts on Social Media,” FULCRUM Analyses on South East Asia, 25 August 2021, at https://fulcrum.sg/comparing-vietnamese-responses-to-chinese-and-american-publicdiplomacy-efforts-on-social-media/.
Bergmann M., Dolbaia T., Fenton N., “Russia’s Adaptation Game: Deciphering the Kremlin’s ‘Humanitarian Policy’,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 14 December 2022, at https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-adaptation-game-deciphering-kremlins-humanitarian-policy.
Bogoeva K., “Kineskata literatura da bide poprisutna kaj nas – i našata tamu”, Nova Makedonija, 12 September 2018, at https://novamakedonija.com.mk/prilozi/lik/%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%83.
Bondarenko O., “‘Russkij Mir’, between Diaspora and Public Diplomacy. Russia’s Foothold in Central Asia,” Il Politico, vol. 81, no. 3 (243) (2016), pp. 87-106, https://www.jstor.org/stable/45426839?seq=19.
Concept for Russia’s Humanitarian Policy Abroad, 5 September 2022, at http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/69285.
The Confucius Institute at UKIM, at https://konfucij.ukim.edu.mk/?lang=en.
Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries, at http://www.chinaceec.org/eng/.
d’Hooghe I., “The Expansion of China’s Public Diplomacy System,” in J. Wang (ed.), Soft Power in China Public Diplomacy through Communication, New York 2011, pp. 19-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230116375_2
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in North Macedonia, 6 March 2024, at https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=799353342235885&set=pcb.799353622235857.
Fond “Russkiy Mir”, at https://russkiymir.ru/fund/.
Huang Z.A., “The Confucius Institute and Relationship Management: Uncertainty Management of Chinese Public Diplomacy in Africa,” in P. Surowiec, I. Manor (eds), Public Diplomacy and the Politics of Uncertainty, Cham 2021, pp. 197-223. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54552-9_8
Institut „Konfucij” Skopje/Confucius Institute Skopje, 2024, at https://www.facebook.com/institutkonfucij.mk.
International Republican Institute, “Western Balkans Regional Poll | February –March 2024 | Full-Deck,” 14 May 2024, at https://www.iri.org/resources/western-balkans-regionalpoll-february-march-2024-full/.
“Intervju so Darko Nestorov – nastavnik po ruski jazik na Ruskiot centar pri Univerziteto”, Sv. Kiril i Metodij, 9 April 2024, at https://antropol.mk/2024/04/09/%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D1%98%D1%83-%D1%81%D0%BE-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BE-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA/.
Kalinski V., “Uspehot na ‘mekata mok’ na Kina vo Makedonija”, Radio Slobodna Evropa, 5 December 2022, at https://www.slobodnaevropa.mk/amp/32161177.html.
Kontseptsiya vneshney politiki Rossiyskoy Federatsii, 12 February 2013, at https://www.garant.ru/products/ipo/prime/doc/70218094/.
Kontseptsiya vneshney politiki Rossiyskoy Federatsii, no. 640, 30 November 2016, at http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/bank/41451.
Kragh M., “Russia’s Concept for a ‘Humanitarian’ Policy Abroad”, in Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies. Commentary, no. 11 (2022), pp. 1-3, https://www.ui.se/globalassets/ui.se-eng/publications/sceeus/russias-concept-for-a-humanitarian-policy-abroad.pdf.
Krstinovska A., “Mestoto na Severna Makedonija vo strategijata na Kina za Zapaden Balkan”. Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Skopje (n.d.).
Krstinovska A., “Understanding the Tools, Narratives and Impact of China’s ‘Soft Power’ in North Macedonia,” Estima Knowledge Excellence & Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Skopje, at https://www.kas.de/en/web/nordmazedonien/single-title/-/content/understanding-thetools-narratives-and-impact-of-china-s-soft-power-in-north-macedonia-1.
Laruelle M., “Russia’s Niche Soft Power Sources, Targets and Channels of Influence”, Russie.
Nei. Visions, no. 122, 8 April 2021, at https://www.ifri.org/en/papers/russias-niche-softpower-sources-targets-and-channels-influence.
Laruelle M., “The ‘Russian World, Russia’s Soft Power and Geopolitical Imagination”, 27 May 2015, at https://www.ponarseurasia.org/the-russian-world-russia-s-soft-power-and-geopolitical-imagination/.
Leonard M., Stead C., Smewing C. Public Diplomacy, London 2002.
Melissen J. (ed.). The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations, Basingstoke–New York 2005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230554931
Nezavisen, Učenje kineski – od egzotika, preku potreba do porta za vlijanie, 12 May 2022, at https://nezavisen.mk/uchenje-kineski-od-egzotika-preku-potreba-do-porta-za-vlijanie/.
Nova Makedonija, Možnost za decata da učat kineski jazik, 1 June 2021, at https://novamakedonija.com.mk/makedonija/republika/%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D1%83%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%82-%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%98%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8/.
Nye S.J. Jr, “Public Diplomacy and Soft Power,” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 616, no. 1 (2008), pp. 94-109, https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716207311699. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716207311699
Opština Prilep, Edukativna sorabotka za izučuvanje na kineskata kultura i jazik, 25 September 2023, at https://www.prilep.gov.mk/edukativna-sorabotka-za-izuchuvanje-na-kineskata-kultura-i-jazik/.
Posol’stvo Rossii v Severnoy Makedonii/Ambasada na Rusija vo Sev. Makedonija, 2024, at https://www.facebook.com/RussianEmbMKD.
Reporter without Borders, From Russia to Serbia: How RT Spreads the Kremlin’s Propaganda in the Balkans Despite EU Sanctions, 7 October 2024, at https://rsf.org/en/russia-serbia-how-rt-spreads-kremlin-s-propaganda-balkans-despite-eu-sanctions.
RT, RT Begins Broadcasting in Serbian- RT Balkan is Live On-Air from Belgrade, 27 December 2024, at https://www.rt.com/news/610099-rt-balkans-serbian-premiere/.
Ruski centar Skopje, 2024, at https://www.facebook.com/ruskicentarmk.
Ruski centar Skopje, at https://ruskicentar.mk/.
Ruski dom vo Skopje, 2024, at https://www.facebook.com/rossotrudnichestvo.skopje/about_details.
Russian Beyond Makedonija, at https://mk.rbth.com.
Russotrudnichetsvo, at https://rs.gov.ru/en/about-foiv/.
Sargsyan G., “China’s Public Diplomacy: Main Vectors,” Chinese Studies, vol. 4, no. 01 (2015), pp. 10-14, http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/chnstd.2015.41002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/chnstd.2015.41002
Sergunin A., Karabeshkin L. “Understanding Russia’s Soft Power Strategy”, Politics, vol. 35, no. 3-4 (2015), pp. 347-363, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9256.12109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9256.12109
Singh P.J., MacDonald S., “Soft Power Today Measuring the Influences and Effects”, at https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/3418_bc_edinburgh_university_soft_power_report_03b.pdf.
“Sun Tzu and the Art of Soft Power?”, The Economist, 17 December 2011, at https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2011/12/17/sun-tzu-and-the-art-of-soft-power.
U.S. Department of State. Global Engagement Center. “GEC Special Report Kremlin‑Funded Media: RT and Sputnik’s Role in Russia’s Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem”. pp.19. ( January 2022).
Vlada na Republika Severna Makedonija, Odnosi Republika Makedonija – Narodna Republika Kina, at https://vlada.mk/node/3101.
Wang J., “Introduction: China’s Search of Soft Power,” in J. Wang (ed.), Soft Power in China Public Diplomacy through Communication, New York 2011, pp. 1-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230116375_1
World Economic Forum, China’s Belt and Road Initiative Turns 10. Here’s What to Know, 20 November 2023, at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/china-belt-road-initiative-trade-bri-silk-road/.
Zeneli V., “Chinese Influence in the Western Balkans and Its Impact on the Region’s European Union Integration Process”, Institute for Human Sciences, 23 June 2023, at https://www.iwm.at/blog/chinese-influence-in-the-western-balkans-and-its-impact-on-the-regions-european-union.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhamed Jashari
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
