Embedding the protection of cultural heritage into a security agenda: China’s and Russia’s heritage diplomacy

Why considering the protection of cultural heritage (CHP) an integral component of a security agenda? How, and for what purposes, do different states employ both ‘heritage in diplomacy’ and ‘heritage as diplomacy’? Building on the existing literature on the securitisation of cultural heritage and heritage diplomacy, this research offers a comparative and cross-disciplinary analysis of China’s and Russia’s CHP policies in international and regional organizations. Based on official documents and semi-structured qualitative interviews, its main argument seeks to demonstrate how China’s and Russia’s CHP strategies have been embedded into their security agendas. While a substantial body of literature has focused on Western countries, particularly in Europe, comparatively little attention has been paid to non-Western great powers, such as China and Russia. This study seeks to address this gap, by highlighting several key similarities and differences in their CHP agencies in international and regional organizations, while bridging the perspectives of heritage studies and security studies.