China and Russia in Central Asia: Is Cooperation Possible and in What Areas?

Central Asia (CA), located in the center of the Eurasian continent, is a potential transport bridge between Europea and the dynamic Southeast Asia. First of all, the potential of this region is associated with the development of its transit capabilities and its implementation can give a serious impetus to the development of CA states suffering from the land-locked geographic location, the economic crisis, weak economic diversification, and an outdated technological base. Russia traditionally plays an important role in the development of this region, historically, economically and politically associated with most of the states of this region, especially with the former Soviet republics of CA (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan), and China, which is interested in ensuring the transportation of goods to Europe and ready to make significant investments to create the necessary infrastructure for this under the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB). Security Issue However, we should not forget that the practical implementation of these projects requires ensuring security in this region, especially given its geographical proximity to the states of the Middle East and Afghanistan. Threats to security in this region are mainly transboundary in nature, and the efforts of the states of the region themselves are not enough to overcome them. They need the help of external players to overcome the identified challenges and […]