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Russia and China as drivers of BRICS strategic communication:
problems and prospects

Kocherov O.S.,

Saint Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia, o.s.kocherov@spbu.ru

elibrary_id: 994679 | ORCID: 0000-0002-2745-5991 | RESEARCHER_ID: V-8082-2018

Article received: 2025.05.07 21:46. Accepted: 2026.03.26 21:47


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2026.04.04
EDN: MKZZTI

Rubric: Theme of the issue: new development drivers – BRICS and strategic communications in global policy

For citation:

Kocherov O.S. Russia and China as drivers of BRICS strategic communication: problems and prospects. – Polis. Political Studies. 2026. No. 4. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2026.04.04. EDN: MKZZTI (In Russ.)

The research was supported by a grant № 25-18-00699 from the Russian Science Foundation, https://rscf.ru/en/project/25-18-00699/.

Abstract

As a promising global governance platform, BRICS must find effective tools to counter discursive pressure and collaborate with the global community. One such tool is strategic communication, which involves the synchronization of words, actions, and images for strategic engagement with target audiences. BRICS has demonstrated success in each of the three dimensions of strategic communication. The group constructs narratives on a widening range of issues, produces and complies with an increasing number of commitments, is undergoing gradual institutionalization, and develops and theorizes its communicative potential. At the same time, the lack of a systemic approach to BRICS strategic communication could lead to a weakening of its discursive position due to internal contradictions or hostile communication campaigns. The implementation of such an approach is further complicated by the fact that although Russia and China, two of the main drivers of BRICS development, see great potential in the group as a tool for global governance and international agenda shaping, their national strategic communication systems differ significantly. The Russian concept of ‘information support for foreign policy activities’, while contributing to the enhancement of information security, neglects the synchronization of words, actions, and images, is largely reactive, and lacks normative power. ‘Strategic communication with Chinese characteristics’ is _{much more systemic, possesses distinct cultural and emotive components and has a clear connection to} the idea of global governance. However, it lacks a methodology for aligning state ‘words and deeds’ and employs controversial discursive strategies. Therefore, Russian and Chinese expert and government circles need to cooperate to further theorize strategic communication, examine the nuances of its construction in both traditionally ’strong’ areas of BRICS development (economics, culture) and relatively new spheres (ecology, cybersecurity), enhance the effectiveness of the normative power and emotive component of strategic communication, and align their positions with the discursive approaches of other BRICS members.

Keywords

BRICS, Russian-Chinese relations, strategic communication, strategic narrative, global governance, information support, discursive power, strategic communication system.

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