The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the initiation of Chinese economic reform under Deng Xiaoping in 1978 promised to produce somewhat parallel long-term results for two of the largest economies of the world. Although China and Russia mirrored each other in the nature of the transitions they were undertaking at the time, their trajectories for future economic and political change are now divergent. Despite the fact that both China and post-Soviet Russia would eventually shift the needle away from central economic planning towards market-based systems and global integration, the approaches and circumstances surrounding these economic changes are completely different. Initially, Russia's implementation of “shock therapy” under Yeltsin in 1992 aimed at immediate trade liberalization and large-scale privatization, implemented quickly. In contrast, in China, over a decade earlier, the market transition had begun piecemeal, in no way separate from the party's existing political apparatus, which gave the process a greater sense of stability. Undoubtedly, although Russia and China had many similar goals when they emerged from eras of deeply planned economies, opposing approaches to change as well as innate geopolitical, ideological and demographic differences exacerbate their very different landscapes in the 21st century with respect to society, economy. , and the government's interaction with these forces. Contrasting economic and political preconditions set the stage for divergence in terms of how Russia and China evolved from communism in the late 20th century. Undoubtedly, Russia and China shared (and still share) a strong inherited tradition of deference to the state. Over the course of the century, both governments are...... middle of paper... nations have emerged from the transition to global capitalism as more robust but fundamentally different in terms of the problems they face and the governments that govern them . . Yet neither Russia nor China have fully embraced the values ​​and institutions of the Washington Consensus – the belief that the optimal economic policy is one of free trade, the withdrawal of government regulation, and the privatization of state-owned enterprises. More importantly, they do not support the thesis that globalization gives rise to democratization. In summary, Russia and China, as post-communist nations that once faced similar transitions but rapidly diverged in their approaches to economic and political change, occupy very different niches as global economies and today, if they so choose, face economic, social and unique politicians. to maintain sustainable growth.