Behind the Silk Curtain: The Sino-Russian Summit, 2019

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

The Sino-Russian Summit of 2019 convenes at a time when both countries seek to redefine their roles in a shifting global order. With rising tensions between the United States and China, and Russia’s increasing isolation from the West, Beijing and Moscow are turning toward one another as strategic partners. Key areas of focus include expanding energy cooperation and infrastructure projects, managing technological regulation and transfer between the two states, and coordinating positions within BRICS to shape international development. At the same time, delegates must account for the broader geopolitical stakes of the partnership: from counterbalancing Western influence to projecting stability in Central Asia and beyond. Delegates may represent divergent institutional, political, or ideological perspectives, yet all must work to advance their side’s national interests while preserving the fragile momentum of Sino-Russian cooperation. The emphasis is on navigating trade-offs, crafting coherent outcomes, and recognizing that the success—or failure—of the summit will shape the trajectory of the relationship for years to come.

CHAIR: Jacob Brown

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Energy Cooperation and Infrastructure

Technology Regulation and Transfer

The Geopolitics of International Development

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Develop the ability to balance competing national interests while engaging in high-stakes bilateral negotiations that span security, economic, and geopolitical dimensions.

• Navigate great-power strategic calculations and trade-offs, practicing compromise and coalition-building.

• Collaborate within a dynamic summit setting that replicates the informal, leader-driven nature of real diplomatic engagements.

About the Chair

Jacob Brown

About the Crisis manager

Jack Gigante