Political and legal regulation of artificial intelligence in Russia and China: a comparative analysis of approaches, risks, and proposals for international coordination

The subject of this research is the Russian-Chinese scientific and technological partnership as an instrument for achieving technological sovereignty of the Russian Federation in the context of the transformation of the global scientific and technological system and the strengthening of geo-economic fragmentation. The aim of the article is to identify the strategic opportunities, institutional constraints, and potential risks of bilateral interaction between Russia and China in the scientific and technological sphere, as well as to analyze scenarios for its development in the medium term. The focus is on key areas of cooperation – high-tech industry, digital technologies, energy, new materials, and fundamental research. The article examines the role of intergovernmental mechanisms, corporate and academic forms of cooperation, as well as the influence of the asymmetry of technological potential of the parties on the stability of the partnership. Special attention is given to the relationship between cooperation and dependence in the context of forming technological sovereignty. The methodological basis of the research includes systemic and structural-functional approaches, comparative analysis, as well as elements of scenario and institutional analysis of scientific and technological cooperation. The scientific novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive assessment of the Russian-Chinese scientific and technological partnership not only as a source of compensation for external technological constraints but also as a factor in forming new dependencies. The article establishes that achieving technological sovereignty within the framework of bilateral cooperation is only possible with active national scientific and technological policy and diversification of forms of interaction. Key risks have been identified related to technological asymmetry, differences in strategic priorities, and institutional models of Russia and China. Possible scenarios for the development of the partnership have been formulated – from deepened cooperation to functional dependence. The results of the research can be used in the development of state scientific and technological and industrial policy, as well as in analytical and expert activities.