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03/03/2014

China in Central Asia, the "new great game" (DIEEEO22-2014)

President Xi Jinping's visit to Central Asian Countries in last September confirms this region’s increasing importance within China’s new geo-political and geo-economical strategy. Chinese foreign policy is focused on strengthening economic and security relations in the region. Xi Jinping toured of four of the Central Asian states, visiting Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and finally Kyrgyzstan, and a series of economic agreements was signed with each of them. Beijing is digging deeper inroads into alternative oil markets as turmoil in the Middle East threatens a key source of China’s international energy supply and due to the high prices for Russian hydrocarbons. Oil, gas, and regional security topped the agenda for the Chinese president. Nonetheless, some important questions arise in relation to this Chinese policy that still need to be clarified: How will respond Russia to the unstoppable “marching westwards”? What role should the U.S. play in region? Which implications will there be on the regional balance of power?

Author: Jorge Mestre Jordá

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