Vol. 2 No. 4 (2025)

Thematic Section: Surrounding Communications Research

Rivers as Media: Spatial Construction and Geopolitical Negotiation in China's Borderlands

Published 2025-04-30

  • Meng WANG
    • ,
  • Mo CHEN

Meng WANG
School of New Media, Peking University, Beijing, China

Mo CHEN
School of Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing, China

Abstract

Rivers, through their interaction with humanity, have shaped human civilization. The political significance of rivers as boundaries has long been overshadowed by their practical uses and aesthetic values, receiving limited scholarly attention. Spanning China’s east and west, the Erguna River in the northeast and the Irtysh River in Xinjiang serve as key border rivers. As border rivers, they share frontier attributes and symbolize the negotiation between natural order and political boundaries. Their differing roles, influenced by unique natural features and relational actors, create diverse spatial dynamics. Cross-border rivers mediate China’s relationships with neighboring countries and subtly reshape global geopolitical patterns. This highlights their mediatory significance, capacity for spatial transformation, and nuanced relationships with human societies, neighboring countries, and the broader world.

Keywords

cross-border rivers, civilization, borderlands, international communication

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