Digital Authoritarianism and Technological Cooperation in Sino-Russian Relations : Common Goals and Diverging Standpoints

China and Russia are jointly advancing their shared interests in the international arena and increasing their cooperation in the tech sector. Despite far-reaching plans, the asymmetry of cooperation in favour of China is increasingly at odds with Russia’s national goals in digital technology. Differences in resources and standpoints are also reflected in the implementation of digital surveillance. China’s surveillance system is sophisticated and extensive, whereas Russia’s is still largely inconsistent and emerging, as evidenced by the fact that there was virtually no control of the Internet in Russia until 2012. While advanced surveillance in authoritarian countries is worrying, technology in strategic sectors is also a key field of increasingly disconcerting great power competition. As a result of intensifying competition, the world is faced with the risk of technological decoupling, which would contribute to the further fragmentation of the international community and the deepening of existing rivalries.Peer reviewe