ABSTRACT
This chapter examines China’s relations with Central Asia since 1949, focusing on its motives and strategies towards the region. These motives include defeating separatist forces, securing energy supplies and enhancing its regional status. The effectiveness of Chinese strategies towards Central Asia, such as increasing influence through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), will be assessed. Although China’s quest for regional stability and aim to eliminate radical separatist groups might find common ground with great powers Russia and the USA, the traditional competition for spheres of influence as well as for energy resources means that Beijing will face stiffer challenges from its rivals in Central Asia in the coming years. For the smaller Central Asian states, this implies that they will be subjected to even more great power influence in future.
