Youth exchange between China's Shandong province and Russia: current state, issues, and development prospects

The article is dedicated to the systematic analysis of youth exchange between Shandong Province (PRC) and Russia in terms of its status as an important practice of regional public diplomacy. Such a practice can serve as an example for other provinces and cities in implementing their own exchanges with Russia. The subject of the study is the current state, challenges, and prospects for the development of youth exchanges between Shandong Province in China and Russia. The aim of the research is to identify relevant issues and determine the prospects for cooperation development. The relevance of this study lies in addressing the gap in local youth research in the scientific literature, conducting a comprehensive and systematic analysis of this exchange to resolve the incomplete understanding of the complexities, uniqueness, and problem points of cooperation between the two countries at the regional level. The materials used include official documents, statistical data, and media resources. Methods employed are literature analysis, political text analysis, descriptive statistics, and case studies. The research established that the youth exchange between the two sides has a dualistic, ambivalent nature. On one hand, a multilevel system of exchanges in the fields of education, tourism, sports, and innovation has been formed on the basis of a strong legal platform, achieving significant results. On the other hand, systemic problems hindering the qualitative development of youth exchange have been identified: 1) cognitive and value barriers among youth based on stereotypes; 2) the dominance of formal, “elite” contacts with a lack of informal ones (“official enthusiasm and social coldness”); 3) the “digital barrier” between the social networks of the two countries, hindering contact maintenance; 4) structural deficiencies in key areas of cooperation, particularly in the insufficiently high level of educational cooperation. In conclusion, the article states that for further development, a transition from quantitative growth to qualitative is necessary. Recommendations are provided for deepening the content of exchanges, expanding the circle of participants, and increasing the level of cooperation.