Scientific reference publication. Vladivostok: Dalnauka Publ., 2011. 245 p.;

Edited by G. P. Beloglazov. Vladivostok: Dalnauka Publ., 2011, 184 p.

(Proceedings of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East. Ser. Oriental Studies, vol. XV)

The first of the peer - reviewed works is a reference book, which is a collective work of leading specialists of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It contains in a concentrated form a variety of information about the countries of North-East Asia as of the beginning of the XXI century. And undoubtedly, it can be considered as a rather unique work. The book contains information on the history, geography, state and political structure, economy, sociology and demography, the state of science, education and culture of the countries geographically related to the North-East Asian region: the Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea., the Republic of Korea and Japan. Brief, but carefully selected and representative data allow us to get an idea of the history of the formation and development of each of these states, geographical, historical, political, ethnic, cultural and other features of these countries, which to some extent determined the political and economic specifics of each country, its role and place in the system of economic and political relations in the world. in the region under consideration, as well as in the international arena.

The first section of the handbook, dedicated to the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia (authors A. S. Vashchuk, A. P. Gerasimenko, S. G. Kovalenko, A. P. Konyakhina), is, of course, the most complete and detailed. In addition to the main historical and geographical information about the region, the authors present the complex social and demographic situation that has developed in this federal district, and note certain negative trends that have manifested themselves, especially in the 2000s, indicating the persistence of inequality in the economic and social development of various subjects of the Russian Federation. The authors pay great attention to the specific problem of this region: the social status, political status, and cultural development of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East. This section provides a detailed description of the economic situation in the region, general economic indicators, and other information. As the authors point out, the Far East as a whole "is dominated by the sphere of interests of vertically integrated companies with a center in Moscow, whose activities are mainly focused on the development of mineral resources" (1, p. 30). At the same time, it is noted that the economic and financial reforms carried out in the Far East in the 2000s did not bring a tangible effect, and the results of the reforms are extremely slow to manifest. There is a development of foreign economic relations of the Far Eastern Federal District, primarily within the framework of integration of Russian Far Eastern entrepreneurship with the business world of the Asia-Pacific region. The most dynamic area of the region's economy is foreign trade, but the structure of exports is dominated by products of the extractive sector. Considerable attention is paid to the development and achievements of science and culture in the Far Eastern Federal District.

The next section of the handbook is devoted to one of the most dynamically developing countries in the Northeast Asian region-the People's Republic of China (authors - G. P. Beloglazov, I. V. Stavrov). The authors included Taiwan as one of the provinces of the People's Republic of China in the review. Of course, it is a difficult task to present this country in a fairly short form, as the format of this reference publication provides, given the length and richness of events in the history of China, the significance of the territory, multiculturalism and other aspects. Nevertheless, the authors managed to show in a concise but visual form the formation of the state in China, its features and specifics that affect the process of political and economic development of the PRC at the present stage. Of particular importance in the context of this issue

The handbook describes the successful evolution of the Chinese economy since the 1980s. China's external relations in this paper are presented mainly in the light of trade and economic relations, as well as bilateral contacts in the field of science and culture between the Russian Federation and the PRC. In general, researchers note the activity of Russian-Chinese cooperation, primarily between the Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation and the border regions of China.

The following three sections are particularly relevant because they focus on countries where information is somewhat limited. We are talking about Korea ("General Overview" and "Republic of Korea" - author I. A. Tolstokulakov; "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - author V. Yu. Mishin). Taking into account the current existence of two states: North and South Korea-with different political and social systems and different levels of economic development, but having a common history, the authors of the handbook have singled out in a separate section an essay on the history of the formation and evolution of Korea as a special state entity on the Korean peninsula until the mid-twentieth century, when due to certain historical circumstances, two independent Korean states appeared on the world map. It is necessary to emphasize the special value of these chapters, and above all the section on the DPRK, since the available data on this particular country is quite limited. The information collected in a concentrated form allows us to get an idea of the specifics of public education, the features of the political and social structure of the DPRK, which determine its role and place in the region and in the system of international relations as a whole. The authors point out that the DPRK has recently shown a marked desire to step up its participation in international processes, including through membership in various international organizations. The main foreign economic partners of the DPRK are the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, primarily China, the Republic of Korea and Russia.

The chapter devoted to the Republic of Korea is more extensive due to the objectively greater availability of data. The Republic of Korea is one of the most economically developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Today, it occupies one of the leading positions among the so-called new industrial countries. Currently, it continues to improve its economic system after overcoming the crisis of the 1990s. In the sphere of foreign economic cooperation, the main partners of the Republic of Kazakhstan are Japan and the United States (the United States is also the main military partner of the Republic of Kazakhstan). Recently, Kazakhstan has been developing cooperation in the economic sphere with China, Russia and Southeast Asian countries.

The final section of the handbook is devoted to the most economically developed state in the Northeast Asian region-Japan (author-B. M. Afonin). The historical essay allows us to get an idea of the cultural specifics of this country, as well as about the special historical circumstances that somehow determined the success achieved by Japan in various fields and its status in the international arena as one of the world's leading countries. Despite the ongoing recession and financial and economic crisis for several years, Japan retains a leading position in the world in many industries. The success of the Japanese economy is due to its market nature, but at the same time, the support of economic entities from the state is also essential. The state of the Japanese economy largely depends on the external market. Japan's main foreign economic partners are China, the United States,and the Republic of Korea, and cooperation with a number of other Asian and European countries is developing. The authors note the highest level of development of science and scientific achievements in Japan at the present stage.

The handbook is provided with a number of summary tables that allow you to visually assess various factors and track trends in the development of the countries under consideration. Special value is attached to the publication by a large amount of scientific information, generalized latest statistical data, documents and materials (domestic and foreign) introduced into scientific circulation. Undoubtedly, the handbook will be useful for domestic international specialists, practitioners developing economic development programs in the Far Eastern Federal District, graduate students and students of Oriental studies, as well as readers interested in this issue.

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Proceedings of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have been published regularly for 20 years. The XV volume presents the works of the IAE FEB RAS staff dedicated to reviewing and analyzing the views of modern Chinese researchers on current problems of Chinese history, economy, and culture.

The collection consists of four thematic sections.

First section ("General problems of history") It opens with V. L. Larin's article "Hot Spots of Russian-Chinese Relations in Modern Chinese Historical and Economic Thought", which evaluates the views of Chinese Russian scholars of the last decade on the problems of the history of Russian-Chinese relations and Russia's policy towards China. The paper analyzes the main aspects of modern Chinese historiography related to the formation of the image of Russia in the PRC and the attitude of future generations of Chinese to it. The author notes that Chinese politicians, public figures, and diplomats, when assessing the current state and results of Russian-Chinese relations, usually single out an insufficient level of mutual understanding and trust, primarily on the part of Russia, among the problems that hinder their successful development. However, it is also important what image of Russia is being formed in modern China.

To assess Chinese Russian studies in the part of it that deals with the study of the history and current state of Russian-Chinese relations and Moscow's policy towards China, the author uses the materials of two National scientific conferences (2003 and 2008) organized by the Chinese Society for the Study of Sino-Russian Relations. These materials, according to V. L. Larin, make it possible to trace the trends of modern Chinese Russian historiography, as well as to draw a number of general conclusions. Among other things, he notes that the collection of the 2003 conference looks more tolerant in assessing the history of Russian-Chinese relations than the materials of the second conference; China appears to be a victim of the aggressive policy of the West, including the "colonial policy" of Russia. At the same time, there is also a certain positive attitude in the works of Chinese historians in assessing the history and prospects of Russian-Chinese relations. The author notes the emphatically negative interpretation of the historical events of Russian-Chinese relations by Chinese scientists, in which Russia (and the USSR) traditionally appears as an aggressor, and the main reason for the complexity of bilateral relations is the unresolved "key problem" - the territorial issue. At the same time, Russia's accusations of seizing Chinese territories continue even after the final demarcation of the Russian-Chinese border was officially carried out by the two sides and the corresponding agreements were signed in 2005. According to V. L. Larin, it is impossible not to take into account the general mood of such works and approaches of Chinese specialists to the problem under consideration, since these assessments affect the formation of ideas about Russia and the attitude towards it (obviously not very friendly) among the younger generation of Chinese, possibly determining the "tone" of relations between the two countries in the future. in the future.

Article by N. P. Ryabchenko " The Soviet model of socialism: its assessment and criticism in the PRC " is devoted to the study and critical rethinking by Chinese scientists of the concept of socialism in its Soviet version, as well as its role in the demise of the Soviet Union. Analyzing the extensive list of relevant literature, the author identifies two stages of criticism of the Soviet model of socialism in the PRC. The first one covers the period from the 1980s, i.e. from the beginning of the policy of reforms and openness (although, as the researcher emphasizes, criticism of the Soviet socialist model took place from the 1950s to the 1960s), up to 1991, i.e. before the collapse of the USSR. Many works of Chinese scientists contain criticism of Stalin's activities and methods, analysis of various aspects of the life of the Soviet people during the Stalinist period. Researchers are trying to understand the reasons why the Stalinist model of socialism was established in the Soviet Union, and among these reasons they see both the peculiarities of the foreign policy situation and the need for a rapid recovery of the country based on its own strength. However, this model contained a number of biases. Thus, Chinese researchers note the historical conditionality of the formation of the Soviet model of socialism.

Chinese scientists have pointed out the significance of the Soviet experience for China, although this experience is evaluated both positively and negatively by various researchers.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a new stage of studying the Soviet model of socialism began in China, one of the tasks of which is to find the reasons for the changes taking place in Russia. Chinese scientists pay much attention to the problems of the October Revolution and its significance for Soviet socialism. At the same time, the Chinese authors ' idea of the October Revolution as an "eastern - type" revolution is interesting, when Russia is put on a par with other "eastern" countries-Persia, China, and Turkey. Chinese scientists pay much attention to the analysis of the peculiarities of the Stalinist socialist system.-

In this regard, the authors of the article recognize the role of this model in the industrial development of the country and the victory in the Great Patriotic War, as well as its limitations and the need for reform.

According to Chinese researchers, the post-Stalinist Soviet Union retained many of the vices of the former system, which led to the collapse of the USSR. The demise of the Soviet state was the result of a combination of factors and circumstances. The author of the article points out that Chinese researchers also paid attention to the study of the Soviet model of socialism as a practical model for the PRC. According to Chinese scientists, copying the Soviet model, on the one hand, played an important role in the formation of China's industrial system, and on the other, it also had some negative impact, since it created the same problems that existed in other socialist countries. Many Chinese experts are interested in the problem of reforming the Soviet model, including the experience of the countries of the former socialist camp. As the author of the article notes, at present, Chinese scientists see the relevance of studying the Soviet model of socialism in order for China, as a socialist country, to learn the necessary lessons and not repeat mistakes.

G. S. Karetina's article "The policy of the Governor of Xinjiang Sheng Shicai (1933-1939) in the assessments of historians" is devoted to one of the representatives of Chinese regional militarism in a difficult period of history for China in a difficult region of China from a geopolitical point of view - Xinjiang, which at the time under consideration was at the crossroads of interests of the USSR, the Kuomintang government, the Chinese Communists,. Of particular importance in Sheng Shicai's politics was the national question. Active revolts of local Muslim leaders, supported by Britain and Japan, against the Chinese administration destabilized the situation in the region and forced the Chinese government to turn to the Soviet Union for support. When the rebels of southern Xinjiang announced the creation of an independent Turkic-Islamic Republic of East Turkestan( TIRVT), whose leaders asked England to accept them under their protectorate, Governor Sheng Shicai asked the USSR for help in the fight against the rebels,and the Soviet Union agreed. Thus, the author considers the role of the Soviet troops in the defeat of the rebel army in Xinjiang. Subsequently, the item on friendship with the USSR was included in the political program of Sheng Shicai. At the same time, as domestic and Chinese researchers emphasize, relations between the USSR and Xinjiang during the period under review were not formal: the Soviet Union provided Xinjiang with significant assistance in creating a military-industrial base, building roads, and providing Soviet military specialists and weapons. Researchers note the significant economic and cultural assistance provided by the Soviet Union to Xinjiang, emphasizing that with the assistance of the USSR, Xinjiang developed quite effectively until the early 1940s, when Sheng Shicai changed his political course and abandoned ties with the USSR.

According to the author of the article, in the works of domestic and Chinese researchers, the considered problems are presented fully and objectively.

Second section of the collection ("International Relations") It opens with the article by L. V. Zabrovskaya "Analysis of the policy of Russia and China towards the DPRK in the works of Chinese scientists (early XXI century)". The author emphasizes the relevance and practical significance of analyzing the nature of relations between Russia and China with the DPRK at the present stage, which is related not only to security issues in Northeast Asia, but also to expansion of trade and economic ties in the region. In order to identify general trends in modern Chinese historiography regarding Russia's policy in the NEA, the author points out that there is considerable interest and attention on the part of Chinese political scientists in studying Russian-North Korean relations in the late XX - early XXI centuries, and not in an abstract way, but in comparison with the corresponding tasks of Chinese foreign policy. Chinese researchers generally positively assess the nature of Soviet-and Russian-North Korean relations, analyzing them through the prism of China's foreign policy interests, emphasizing, among other things, the common interest of Russia and China in the confrontation between the United States in the NEA region.

Analyzing Chinese political scientists ' assessment of China's policy towards the DPRK, L. V. Zabrovskaya first of all points out that one of the factors determining Sino-North Korean relations is the status of these countries as military and political allies. Accordingly, Chinese researchers emphasize their solidarity with the DPRK on the main issues of foreign policy, since it is fully consistent with Chinese interests in the region.

Most Chinese experts point out that China is interested in holding multilateral negotiations on nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula as a more appropriate way of resolving disputes that meets the challenges of our time. In general, as the author of the article points out, China positions itself as an important, if not leading participant in such negotiations.

According to L. V. Zabrovskaya, Chinese scientists ' positive assessment of the expansion of Russian-North Korean political and economic contacts is primarily due to the fact that these relations do not prevent the formation of close ties between China and the DPRK. The author emphasizes that, apparently, Chinese experts tend to consider Russia's relations with the DPRK as one of the links of Chinese foreign policy.

S. A. Ivanov's article "Studying the problems of modern cross-border and interregional cooperation in Eastern Russia and North-Eastern China", prepared based on the materials of the journal" Cibolia Yanjiu " for 1994-2010, deals with the specifics of cross-border and interregional cooperation research in the eastern regions of Russia and the north-eastern provinces of China. The author describes the approach of Chinese researchers to the integration of the border territories of the PRC and the Russian Federation.

First of all, S. A. Ivanov states the actual lack of a proper theoretical and methodological base in articles designed to study the issues of cross-border cooperation between Russia and China. During the period under review, there was a certain transformation of research issues from primarily trade and economic to, on the one hand, the analysis of certain areas of bilateral cooperation, and on the other, the transition to a more comprehensive study of cross - border relations. The author focuses on the high level of market research on these issues, which, in his opinion, is connected both with the real needs of the economy of the border regions of China and the corresponding state "order", and with the approach of many Chinese scientists to border relations not as a bilateral, but as a one-sided structure, the development of which depends on thoughtful actions local and central authorities of China.

At the beginning of the third section of the collection "Socio-economic problems" is an article by G. N. Romanova "Chinese historiography of economic relations between the Russian Far East and North-Eastern China (XIX-first half). XX century)", devoted to the study of the transformation of concepts of Chinese historians in the approach to the main economic processes in interstate relations, trade relations of border territories, Russian investment and entrepreneurship in the economy of Northeast China. Taking into account that the views of Chinese historians on the past of their country, as well as on international relations in the Far East, have undergone significant changes, the author identifies several periods in their evolution: the 1950s, 1960s-1970s, 1980s-the beginning of the XXI century. At the first stage, as the author notes, Chinese scientists, despite certain shortcomings, tried to more objectively cover the historical past of China. In the 1960s and 1970s, due to the general political situation in the People's Republic of China, there was a stagnation of historical science. Russia was portrayed only as a state with a constant "aggressive" policy towards China; the mutually beneficial nature of Russian-Chinese relations was denied. As the author notes, in many works of Chinese historians, an overview of the Chinese economy is given through the prism of the political situation and the nature of relations between Russia and China in the corresponding period of time. Since the early 1990s, there have been some changes in the approach of Chinese experts to assessing Russian-Chinese economic relations. Scientific works on the subject under consideration published in China at this time are distinguished by a greater objectivity in assessing many economic and political factors, in particular the role of the CER for the development of Northeast China, compared to previous periods. Nevertheless, these works also contain a number of "stereotypical" assessments and provisions for Chinese historiography, including those on "unequal" treaties, on the "semi-colonial nature of Russian trade in Northeast China" , etc. The author concludes that in the 1980s and 1990s, certain approaches of Chinese historians were manifested In particular, researchers began to move away from one-sided, standard negative assessments of many aspects of Russian-Chinese relations, and they began to show interest in a more objective analysis of the problem of the CER and trade relations between Russia and China. These trends are attributed by the author of the article to changes in the worldview of Chinese historians, primarily due to the adoption of the PRC's policy of reform and modernization.

G. P. Beloglazov's article "The concept of "building a new socialist village" in the PRC in official documents and works of Chinese researchers" examines the most controversial aspects of this problem: determining the goal of the "building a new socialist village" program, methods, forms and selection of priority areas for its implementation, distribution of financial flows between the city and the village. The very creation of this program was a response to the problems faced by the Chinese agricultural industry at the beginning of the XXI century, when the potential of the first stage of agricultural reforms was exhausted, systemic crisis phenomena began to manifest themselves and the industry entered a period of stagnation. One of the specific measures taken by the Government of the People's Republic of China to resolve social tensions in the village, stabilize the agricultural sector and develop it, was the "new village construction" program. It received a wide response in the party press and other media, and also became the subject of an active scientific discussion. In general, as the author notes, Chinese researchers do not doubt the need to strengthen state regulation of this sector of the economy, as provided for in the program. The author of the article points out that the timely measures taken within the framework of" building a new socialist village " helped the PRC to survive the economic crisis of 2008-2009 with minimal losses and laid the foundations for the further development of the agricultural sector in China.

G. V. Kondratenko's article "The hukou system in Chinese and English-language historiography at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries" is devoted to the Chinese system of population registration by place of residence or registration (hukou), as well as the attention that Chinese researchers pay to this issue due to its impact on the economy, social development and political stability in the country. The author notes that Chinese and English-speaking scientists emphasize the complexity and complexity of this issue, since both the abolition and preservation of the Hukou system have their pros and cons, which can potentially lead to an aggravation of certain economic and social problems.

Placed at the beginning of the fourth section ("Humanitarian issues") I. V. Stavrov's article "Implementation of the CPC National Policy in the North-Eastern Provinces of the PRC (1978-2009): historiography of the problem" is devoted to the review of domestic and foreign historiography on the problems of implementing the national policy in North-Eastern China as an integral part of the overall domestic policy of the PRC. The author of the article characterizes the peculiarities of the works of domestic, Chinese and Western researchers devoted to the history and current state of various ethnic groups of Northeast China, noting, among other things, a more comprehensive approach in the works of Russian scientists, the focus of Chinese research mainly on studying this problem in the light of the implementation of the official line of the CCP, and the limited research of Western specialists on individual issues. However, without analyzing the general national policy in the North-Eastern region of the People's Republic of China, it states the current lack of attention on the part of specialists to the problem under consideration as a whole.

A. S. Vereychik's article "Demographic policy of the PRC in the program documents of the CPC (1949-2009)" examines the evolution of the demographic policy of the PRC. The author identifies four stages of demographic policy implementation in the history of the PRC, noting that the success of the birth control program in order to curb the growth of the Chinese population has also led to a number of serious demographic problems that can slow down economic growth and increase social tension in the country.

N. P. Gridina's article "Chinese historians on the adaptation of the Russian Intelligentsia in Manchuria" reviews the works of Chinese researchers analyzing the role of the Russian intelligentsia in the economic, spiritual, cultural and social life of the population of Manchuria in the period 1917-1945. The author of the article, noting the rather great interest of Chinese scientists in this issue, which was reflected in the appearance of a number of fundamental scientific works, points out the ambiguity of Chinese experts ' assessments of the process of adaptation of Russian emigration and its role in the history of China.

V. A. Koroleva's article "Musical Sinology in Russia: historiography of the problem" examines the formation of domestic scientific knowledge about the music of China (from the second half of the XVII century to the beginning of the XXI century) and similar processes on the part of Chinese musicologists. The author, noting the relatively short history of musical Sinology in Russia as an independent scientific field, examines in detail the stages of its evolution and the change of the Eurocentric view that prevailed at the beginning with a civilizational approach to problems in the modern period. The author notes the intensification of development in

Currently, Chinese studies are conducted in the form of cooperation between Russian and Chinese specialists as one of the elements of the cultural dialogue between the two neighboring states of Russia and China.

The presented review of the selection of articles allows us to evaluate this publication as very rich and informative, which will undoubtedly have practical scientific significance and be of interest to both specialists and ordinary readers.

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