International Relations and China’s Position in the Socialist Camp

This study revisits Sino-Soviet relations and develops a model explaining the structure of state-to-state relations within the socialist camp. It is aimed at contributing to our understanding of the positioning of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) within the realm of the socialist camp, and the influence this positioning had on the global setting of the Cold War. To achieve these aims the idea of triangularity in international relations is used to explain triangularity as a hidden structure within the bipolar structure of the Cold War world. While the bipolarity of the structure helps us to understand the mechanisms of long-term relative stability, triangularity helps us to understand the changes in the system and its eventual collapse.