№ 11 (2023)

  

The article analyzes the prospects of Russia’s interaction with the countries of Southeast Asia, taking into account the factor of conducting a special military operation in Ukraine. This dictates the need to consider the positions of the countries of the region towards the special military operation as a new reality in their relations with Russia. An analysis of this issue shows that the opinions of the Southeast Asian countries are divided and three groups with similar views on the new situation can be distinguished. Most countries remain neutral and do not intend to intervene in an international conflict so as not to spoil relations with Russia. This official point of view reflects the presence of pro-Russian sentiments in local societies, which gives Russia the opportunity to develop military-technical, economic and diplomatic cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. At the same time, the solution of this problem encounters a number of obstacles that limit the prospects for expanding Russia’s cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. In these conditions, the importance of using “soft power” tools to increase the attractiveness of Russia is increasing.

 The article is devoted to the results of South Africa’s BRICS Chairship in 2023. The authors conclude that SA’s presidency, which witnessed a decision to take on new members as well as with the adoption of the final Johannesburg Declaration-II, demonstrates an increasing importance of South Africa and Africa in BRICS. With new African countries, namely Ethiopia and Egypt, joining BRICS, South Africa obviously loses its status as the only representative of the entire African continent, but it further promotes its agenda, as reflected in the Final Declaration. The article reveals an increasing role of BRICS as a whole. While at the first stage, cooperation between the member-states of the BRIC “club” was rather symbolic, we can now see the emergence of a more independent international agenda and the creation of new financial institutions, which shows that the world system is transforming towards multipolarity and inclusion.

After the decisions of the 20th CPC Congress, support for the private sector of the economy as a whole, as well as micro, small, medium and individual enterprises in particular, deepening the institutional reform in entrepreneurship are becoming the most important factors in promoting Chinese modernization and ensuring quality development.The article assesses the contribution of the private and individual sectors to the socio-economic and innovative development of China. Specific documents and measures of regulatory and economic support and stimulation of private business, including in R&D, improving the innovation and qualification level of small and medium-sized enterprises, creating a favorable political, financial and competitive environment for enterprises of all forms of ownership, are considered. Special attention is given to the plan for carrying out party-state institutional reforms in order to strengthen party and government leadership in science and innovation in accordance with the requirements of high-quality development and modernization of the economy in the “new era”.

The aim of the article is to define characteristics of military cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea and perspectives of its development. The relevance of the topic is due to rising level of Vietnam – South Korea relations and complication of situation in the international security field in the Asia-Pacific region. Defense ties between Hanoi and Seoul are still on the stage of formation and this issue is not completely researched by scholars.The article considers general features of interaction between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea, formation of bilateral dialogue in the defense sphere and key directions of military collaboration. The problems were analyzed in the context of international situation in the region and priority fields of policies of Vietnam and South Korea.The author makes conclusions on the presence of favorable preconditions for bilateral defense cooperation that is stipulated by as high level of relations between the two states so practical interest of Hanoi and Seoul in such interaction. The obstacles for expansion of military collaboration might be distinctions in priorities of foreign policies in Vietnam and South Korea, and also in positions of these states in the regional international order. The Republic of Korea orients for the alliance with Washington, Vietnam tries to balance between the most significant regional actors – the USA and China.

Статья посвящена демографическому развитию Республики Корея, которая в последние десятилетия столкнулась с быстрым падением рождаемости. Конец 2010-х – начало 2020-х гг. – период антирекордов для страны по сокращению численности населения (с 2020 г.), одним из самых низких в мире коэффициентов брачности и рождаемости. В статье представлены этапы демографического развития в Республике Корея в XX–XXI вв., различающиеся характером и условиями протекания демографических процессов. Особо выделены этапы перелома тенденций рождаемости, возникшие в 1960-х гг. вследствие экономических реформ и государственной политики демографического контроля, проводимой в формате программ планирования семьи. Обозначены национальные особенности демографического кризиса в Республике Корея, в числе которых: «чрезмерная эффективность» демографического контроля, кардинальное изменение отношения корейцев к семье и деторождению, высокие затраты на воспитание и образование детей. Сделан вывод о неблагоприятном влиянии демографического кризиса на будущее страны.