China and Central Asia [UPSC IR Notes]

In April 2023, China convened an online meeting of trade ministers of the grouping known as C+C5. C+C5 consists of China and the five Central Asian republics, namely Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. It was the most recent in a line of diplomatic interactions between Beijing and the area since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Along with China’s premier Belt and Road Forum, which has a sizable Central Asian component, a physical C+C 5 meeting is planned.

In this article, you can read about the strategic significance of Central Asia to China and also to India in global geopolitics. This topic is relevant for the IAS exam international relations segment.

Significance of Central Asia

• Mineral and natural resources abound throughout Central Asia. Along with stocks of coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore, Kazakhstan also contains one of the largest uranium deposits. 
• Gold and hydropower are abundant in the Kyrgyz Republic, while Turkmenistan has some of the greatest natural gas reserves in the world. 
• Uzbekistan possesses gold, uranium, and natural gas, and Tajikistan has enormous hydropower potential.

Image source: Asiasociety.org

China and Central Asia:

• China and the Central Asian region, which is located along the old Silk Road, have strong historical ties in terms of trade, culture, and interpersonal relations. 
• The Shanghai Five, the precursor to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), established China’s ties to Central Asia.

China’s Interests in Central Asia:

• China’s interest in the area rose quickly over the course of the last two decades. 
• China had overland access to markets in Europe and West Asia through Central Asia, which was a ready-made market for low-cost goods. 
• The area has huge gas and oil reserves as well as key minerals including uranium, copper, and gold. 
• Maintaining peace in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, which serves as China’s border with Central Asia, was another priority in its relations with these nations.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative:

• During his 2013 visit to Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan, President Xi unveiled his Belt and Road Initiative, a contemporary interpretation of the Silk Road. 
• The projects covered by these investments range from digital technologies and renewable energy sources, such as solar power, to oil and gas exploration, production, and manufacturing as well as connections for rail, road, and seaports. 

Friction Points during China’s Expansion into Central Asia

The expansion of China into Central Asia has not been without conflict. 

• These nations, where Islam is the dominant religion, are angry at Beijing’s targeting of the Xinjiang region’s Muslims. 
• The Uighurs are found all over Central Asia, and the Chinese crackdown has had an impact on the large Kazakh and Uzbek populations in Xinjiang.
• Public demonstrations have occasionally broken out as a result of the resentment, which includes the rapid land acquisition by China and the increasing presence of Chinese employees in these nations.

Russian Relations with Central Asia:

• China’s increased regional engagement over the past year has sparked concern that Beijing is using Moscow’s focus on Ukraine to oust Moscow from its own strategic environment.
• The region still depends on Russia economically, and the Ukrainian incursion has raised concerns that a security alliance with Moscow may turn out to be a double-edged sword.
• A recent CSTO military exercise that was scheduled to take place on Kyrgyzstan’s soil was cancelled. 
• A large Central Asian migrant population living in Russia also ties the region to it economically.

India and Central Asia

• For India, engagement with Central Asian nations is crucial for a variety of reasons, including 
  • security cooperation following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, 
  • efforts to counter China’s influence in the region, 
  • plans for connectivity with Europe, including the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), 
  • the need to meet its energy needs (Turkmenistan is a proposed transit country for the TAPI gas pipeline), and 
  • the potential for trade.
• The potential to broaden its ties with this important strategic region may arise as a result of New India’s leadership of the SCO in 2023.

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