On May 25, 2024, the “Central Asia Park” was opened in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. This park aims to provide a platform for tourists to learn about the history and culture of Central Asian countries. The Central Asia Park is one of the plans for the 2023 China-Central Asia Summit. The caravan sculptures decorating the 53-hectare park symbolize the centuries-long cultural and trade exchanges and common development vision between China and Central Asian countries.[1]
The China-Central Asia Summit is a diplomatic summit organized by the leaders of China and five Central Asian countries. The first China-Central Asia Summit was held on 18-19 May 2023 in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. It was chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended by the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries. During their talks on May 19, 2023, the parties reached a joint decision that China will provide Central Asian countries with a total of 26 billion Yuan in financial support, non-refundable support, trade facilitation initiative, and develop bilateral investment agreements.
It was decided to accelerate the construction of Line D of the China-Central Asia gas pipeline. Fifty-four important cooperation agreements and initiatives were reached at the summit, including the establishment of nineteen multilateral cooperation platforms and the signing of nine multilateral cooperation documents on the sidelines of the summit. The next summit is expected to be held in Kazakhstan in 2025 and will be transformed into a professional organization with a secretariat.
China’s trade and economic cooperation with Central Asian countries has been on a fast track in recent years. China’s willingness to promote joint development with the countries of the region encourages multiple strategic cooperation. China’s focus on Central Asia’s security seems to be a natural strategy in line with its growing energy needs. As far as relations and decision-makers are concerned, security and development initiatives in Central Asia are a natural consequence of the geopolitical importance of the region.
China’s growing dependence on hydrocarbon imports, with the main suppliers located in Russia, the Middle East and Africa, is a serious challenge. More than 70% of China’s oil and natural gas exports are shipped through the Strait of Malacca, making it an important route for the country’s energy security policy. The strategic importance of Central Asia for the diversification of China’s trade routes and energy corridors is also based on security concerns.
Becoming overly dependent on sea routes for energy is considered too risky due to choke points such as the Strait of Malacca. The importance of the Strait of Malacca is not limited to the transportation of raw materials. Around 20% of global maritime trade and 60% of China’s trade flows are transported through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, posing a risk to the security of the Chinese economy. China’s growing leadership in multilateral initiatives in Central Asia demonstrates its growing sense of responsibility for the region and the importance of energy security for China.
Over the past decade, China’s economic presence in Central Asia has expanded within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In 2013, Xi first announced this initiative in Kazakhstan. On the other hand, Russia established the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in 2014 to increase its influence in Central Asia. While the EEU is not as dynamic as the BRI in the region, China’s heavy investments in hydrocarbons and infrastructure have shifted the balance of power in China’s favor. In addition, Russia established the Greater Eurasian Partnership. Kazakhstan, with its abundance of resources, is of great importance for China and Russia’s regional construction projects. Alarmed by Russia’s war in Ukraine, in September 2022 Xi emphasized China’s contribution to the security of Central Asia by pledging support for Kazakhstan’s territorial integrity.[2]
As a result, geopolitical competition and Central Asian states’ quest for independence from Russian influence have provided China with an opportunity to renegotiate economic and political relations through the construction of the China-Kazakhstan Oil Pipeline and the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline. China’s quest for direct energy supplies from Central Asian producing countries is changing its attitude towards energy cooperation with Russia. These pipeline projects have empowered producer states by providing direct access to the world’s largest emerging market, ending Russia’s monopoly on pricing and transportation. If Line D of the China-Central Asia gas pipeline is successfully constructed, all regional states will be able to enter a new phase of development led by China.
[1] “China-Central Asia Cooperation: Central Asia Park opens in northwest China’s Xi’an”, CGTN, https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-05-22/VHJhbnNjcmlwdDc4ODcw/index.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 25.05.2024).
[2] Christoffersen, Gaye, “Central Asia Over a Decade: The Shifting Balance between Russia and China.” In Putin’s “Turn to the East” in the Xi Jinping Era, s. 28. Routledge, 2023.
