China’s Foreign Policy toward the Central Asian Republics through the BRI

Abstract

Central Asia, located in Eurasia’s hinterland, is one of China’s primary foreign policy destinations. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has emerged as the most important means of furthering relations between China and the five Central Asian republics. A new phase in China’s foreign policy towards Central Asia was marked by the launch of the BRI, which sparked a new round of cooperation between China and the Central Asian republics. Since the implementation of the BRI in 2013 China’s foreign policy has prioritized Central Asia as part of the initiative. China’s economic interests and influence in the Central Asian republics have increased as a result of the initiative’s implementation. In the era of the multipolar world order in which China as one of the major powers is playing a central role, Beijing’s international policy includes its bilateral and multilateral relations with the Central Asian states. This paper aims to discuss how the Chinese BRI has reconfigured China’s exchange relations and influences on Central Asian countries, as well as how the BRI has worked in each country in the region.