China's policy in Central Asia

The article examines the making and development of the mutual relations of People’s Republic of China with the Central Asia’s countries after 2000’s. The new policy of the Chinese leadership, which was aimed at the rise of the country’s economic potential, determined the necessity to search sources of raw materials and commodity markets. The Central Asia’s region was found to become the most convenient to reach the goals. After the Soviet Union’s collapse and formation of the new independent states in the region, Beijing began to establish the mutual relations with them, to offer the profitable infrastructural projects, and to give credits on favorable conditions for carrying it out. Realizing the policy of economic expansion, China is using “soft force” both in relations with the Central Asian partners and the main actor rivals of the sphere, Russia and the USA. Unlike the US plan to forge a New Silk Road, China has devoted substantial financial resources to its Silk Road Economic Belt - some $40 billion have been allocated for external aspects. New international financial institutions were created and funded by China (e.g., the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) to help the development of its immediate neighborhood. There are clear motivations for this kind of investments. Chinese traders are often the most dynamic players on the ground. But while the overall project is designed to help improve China’s undeveloped regions, there are also clear benefits for Central Asia. China has demonstrated a growing willingness to engage in security matters in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan through bilateral military support and training. If China’s wish to build a trade corridor through Central Asia would be a reality, Beijing’s policymakers will have to establish ways to deal with the region’s complicated dynamics. The economic corridors similar to the Belt are now sprouting from every direction to and from China. It offers a chance for Europe to play a role in a project that is both key for the Chinese leadership personally and important to a strategically significant region in which Europe has expressed a keen interest. China’s leadership supposes that the project should pave the way to Europe. The China’s long-term diplomatic experience gives it an opportunity to avoid the political and military confrontation. At the same time China makes huge efforts to raise the attractiveness of the state. It reveals chances for the neighbours to obtain education at Chinese universities and assigns Chinese language teachers to higher educational institutions of the Central Asia’s countries.