ABSTRACT
Among the many countries seeking to participate in the division of the Soviet legacy, Russia and China have special economic and political interests. Moreover, in the case of Kyrgyzstan and especially Kazakhstan, Russia is the dominant trade partner. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the economic relations between Russian and Central Asia went through two stages of development. Central Asia's trade with Russia, have led some observers to discern the emergence of integrationist processes in the CIS. In 1995–96 there was a further approximation between the prices on trade within the CIS and those prevailing on world markets. The relations between Central Asia and China have a complex history going back many centuries. After the collapse of the USSR, China was regarded as the country perhaps most directly concerned about developments in Central Asia. The Central Asian region is also of special geopolitical importance for China, for it is the source of a separatist nationalism.
