Greater Central Asia as the new frontier in the twenty-first century

Greater Central Asia (GCA) has been variously defined as the post-Soviet Central Asian republics, plus Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The prospective integration of Eurasia in the 21st century may have an equally significant impact on the current world system and on wider globalisation processes. The countries of GCA have always acted as a land bridge along the major commercial routes between Europe and Asia. The Silk Road trade brought wealth and prosperity to the region’s inhabitants at different stages in history. The westward expansion of the Chinese economy will create new opportunities for the countries of Central Eurasia, aiming to increase commercial ties with neighboring Chinese provinces or attract land-based transit traffic to from Europe. China’s rapid economic growth has been coupled with a rising demand for natural resources. Great international concern has arisen over China’s land acquisitions for agricultural and biofuel production, pejoratively called ‘land grabbing’.