China's security interests in Central Asia

Abstract

China shares similar interests with Russia in Central Asia: ensuring political stability, control of radical Islam (particularly on the Chinese border), access to Central Asian hydrocarbons, strengthened economic ties with the region, and ensuring minimal U.S. influence. China is a rising power in Central Asia. Its policy is methodical and focused and has shown gradual, consistent advances. Based on this assessment, China and Russia are going be long-term rivals for control of energy resources and business affairs of the region. As a result, the Central Asian states will eventually have to choose sides in this likely rivalry, or else maintain a precarious political balance. This raises questions regarding the future of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), presently a subject of numerous commentaries and speculations. Meppen emphasized that the SCO remains an organization in search of a mission. It appears to be ready to do many things, but has not produced any tangible outcomes. The SCO does have some value as a discussion forum for the region's powers. However, it seems questionable that the SCO would be able to effectively serve both Russia's and China's interests simultaneously in the future. Rather, it already appears that Russia is using the SCO as a tool to monitor China's advances in Central Asia

Feeling safe, being strong: China's strategy of soft balancing through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

“…It is true that China has strong motivations in promoting the SCO, simply because Central Asia has strategic significance for various Chinese national interests (Ong, 2005;Sheives, 2006) and is also an important link within its overall 'Zhoubian Waijiao' [neighbourhood diplomacy]. There is little chance for China to play a leading role in initiating a multilateral organisation in other parts of its neighbourhood, either because of the existence of long-established multilateral systems (for example, in Southeast Asia) or because of deep-rooted suspicions (for example, in Northeast Asia).…”

Parallel Order Building: China’s Changing Role in Central Asia’s Security

“…China has long been concerned by security issues emanating from its Western frontier (Ong 2005;Kerr and Swinton 2008). China views the region as a buffer zone between its restive province of Xinjiang and bordering Afghanistan.…”

Revisiting US–China strategic competition in Central Asia and its impact on Pakistan

“…The military dimension is the most vital aspect of security. A strong military security provides a state to defend its territorial sovereignty and integrity, resist foreign aggression, and keep the state unified while a strong military security also provides to prevent threats emanating from terrorism and other state and non‐state actors (Ong, 2005). Pakistan also like other states have increased its military security due to its enduring rivalry with India and the events in Afghanistan and its direct impacts on its territorial integrity and beyond.…”