Security issues in transport projects in Central Asia

Abstract

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in which the countries of Central Asia play a key role, is becoming very attractive for the transit countries. China is investing heavily in the economic and infrastructure development of the region. Beijing pays attention not only to energy carriers but also plans to invest in transport and other industries. The BRI is a complex project that is still being finalized and many details are not yet clear. However, it seems that the Chinese government is doing its best to implement the aims of this initiative. Since the collapse of the USSR and the independence of the Central Asian republics, there has been a noticeable change in the geography of the distribution of productive forces worldwide. In addition, new economic centers have emerged. All this has caused increased competition between transit countries for new routes in the transport services market in the region. In this context, security issues for the implementation of Eurasian integration projects by China in the transport sector occupy one of the most important places on the agenda, since long-term operation and implementation are directly dependent on ensuring their security. This research analyzes internal threats, instability conditions and security risks in Central Asia at national, sub-regional and regional levels. The contradictions between different actors create a basis for the emergence of conflict situations, the potential consequences of which need to be taken into account by China when planning and implementing major integration projects in the region.