Abstract: The article is devoted to the peculiarities of Chinese diplomacy at the present stage of China's development. The purpose of the proposed study is to determine the features of "great power diplomacy with Chinese specifics in the new era." The purpose of this work - to examine the peculiarities of Xi Jinping-era diplomacy, to clarify the degree of their continuity with respect to previous diplomatic strategies of China, as well as to interpret the modern diplomatic strategy of "great power diplomacy with Chinese specifics" as a consequence of the growing power of China challenging the hegemony of the United States. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is based on the theory of structural realism and the theory of the transit of power, which allow us to study the influence of Chinese diplomacy as a derivative of China's increasing role in global governance on the process of structuring both the regional subsystem and the global system of international relations. The relevance of this study is associated with a change in the tactics of Chinese diplomacy towards a more focused and tougher rhetoric, emphasizing intransigence with baseless attacks by Western countries and manipulations with the vulnerability of indigenous Chinese interests. In the study, the authors note that throughout the period under review, pragmatism and an orientation towards modernization and strengthening of the country remained the invariable principle of Chinese diplomacy. Xi Jinping proclaimed a course for the "revival of the Chinese nation," which met with resistance from the countries of the "Collective West." The authors' scientifically significant contribution to the study of the peculiarities of the diplomatic practice of the People's Republic of China in the context of the implementation of the "diplomacy of a great power with Chinese specifics in a new era" is to assess the degree of compliance of this course with the need to defend China's fundamental national interests in a complicated international situation. The article emphasizes that "the diplomacy of a great power with Chinese specifics" allows China to demonstrate the behavior of a great power and at the same time change the balance of forces in the "international struggle for public opinion."

Keywords: great power, core interests, security, community of common destiny, chinese characteristics, great power diplomacy, global leadership, Xi Jinping, diplomacy, China

Abstract: The article identifies and analyzes the views of modern French researchers on the relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. The study of the works of French scientists makes it possible to analyze Russia's foreign policy not only in relation to its closest neighbor, the Republic of Belarus, but also in relation to the entire post-Soviet space. The subject of the study is the relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in the late 1990s – early 2000s. The article is an attempt to fill the gap in French historiography and analyze the relations between the two former Soviet republics through the prism of French studies. The article also examines the assessments that French authors give to integration associations in the post-Soviet space, as well as to the interaction between the two states in the military and economic spheres. The study is relevant due to the fact that it is the first time the French works devoted to Russian-Belarusian relations in the post-Soviet period have been analysed. Historical, narrative, and comparative-historical methods of historical research were used as the main methods. The author comes to the conclusion that, according to the majority of French researchers, since the collapse of the USSR, relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus have been the strongest and most stable compared to other former Soviet republics, despite the obvious great dependence of Belarus on Russia. Moreover, the participation of both countries in the same integration associations and the creation of a common Union State not only speaks about the similar interests of both countries, but it further strengthens the relationship between them.

Keywords: French researchers, Customs Union, EurAsEC, Union State, CIS, Belarus, Russia, post-Soviet space, foreign policy, integration processes

Abstract: The subject of this article is the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The article presents the definition of the concept of constitutional power in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is considered how international organizations influence the constitutional power in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the current legal state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, domestic and foreign policy, the influence of international presence and many others. The focus is on the question of who and how currently governs Bosnia and Herzegovina. The article presents a detailed analysis of the functions and work of the High Representative and the Peace Implementation Council. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the article is a detailed constructive analysis of international interference in the functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The role of the High Representative is also described in detail as one of the main contradictions of the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The author comes to the conclusion that there is an absolute discrepancy between reality, that is, facts with the idea of the way and functioning of this state. The specificity of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the fact that a number of international institutions directly affect both the domestic and foreign policy of the country. The factor of internal influence is integrated into its political system through the penetration of international law there. It is noted that unlike other European countries with a complex history, Bosnia and Herzegovina lacks an initiative approach to solving problems and developing the state. The author comes to the conclusion that the role of the High Representative is one of the main contradictions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that the illegitimate appointment of High Representative Christian Schmit throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina deepens the ethno-political conflict and puts the Serbs in the Republika Srpska in an even more difficult situation.

Keywords: Western Balkans, Republika Srpska, Christian Schmit, failed state, ethnopolitical conflict, a political phenomenon, The Dayton Agreement, High Representative, international control, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract: This article examines the evolution of Belgrade's official position on the Kosovo issue. The author explores such aspects as the importance of Kosovo in the historical consciousness of the Serbian political elite, the stages of the current attitude towards Kosovo on the part of the Serbian leadership, as well as the significance of historical events on the Kosovo for modern Serbia. The object of the study is the Kosovo crisis, the subject is the vision of the presidents and senior officials of Serbia of the fate of Kosovo. Special attention is paid to the historical stage of the formation of national ideas among Serbs and Albanians, in which the battle on the Kosovo field played a key role. Studying the positions of the presidents and senior officials of Serbia on Kosovo allows to track the process of folding the current position, and also allows to see the trajectory of the formation of attitudes towards Kosovo. The main conclusion of the study is the idea that the struggle for Kosovo in Serbia is a central national idea that serves as a unifying principle and builds patriotism around itself. A special contribution of the author is the systematic tracking of the evolution of Belgrade's position on the Kosovo issue. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the article consistently and constructively describes the approach of various Serbian presidents to the problem based on their speeches, statements and actions in the international arena.

Keywords: Aleksandar Vučić, Slobodan Milošević, Greater Serbia, NATO, Kosovo field, Serbia, Belgrade, Kosovo, USA, Russia

Abstract: The author examines the cooperation of the PRC with countries in the Balkan region in the areas of investment and infrastructure. The study focuses on China’s economic relations with key actors in the Balkan region: Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. The subject of the study is investment and infrastructure cooperation of China with the countries of the region in the context of the project «One Belt One Road». The author examines in detail the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the economies of various countries, major FDI flows, the development of the financial sector of the PRC, the cooperation of China in the field of FDI and infrastructure with the main actors of the Balkan region. The author pays special attention to the aspect of implementation of the project «OBOR» in the context of cooperation of China with the countries of the Balkan region. This study is based on the theory of political realism. The main conclusions of the study are the definition of the initiative «One Belt One Road» as a key factor of cooperation of the People’s Republic of China with the countries of the Balkan region, the identification of the main directions of investment of the People’s Republic of China in the Balkan Peninsula: The Republic of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania, analysis of the impact of political differences between the Governments of the States of the region and the People’s Republic of China on the flow of foreign direct investment and infrastructure projects.

Keywords: Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, OBOR, Balkans, FDI, Investments, PRC, China