ABSTRACT
Central Asia is in an unenviable position of being a key pillar in the ambitions of much larger neighbors to the south-east and to the north. The foregoing section has highlighted Central Asia’s significance for China’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative. Central Asia’s bountiful energy and other natural resources are integral inputs for the sustainability of China’s economic success. China is mindful of the degree to which its restive Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region can be impacted by economic, social, and political developments in neighboring Central Asia. The Asian Development Bank has estimated that $33 billion per annum would need to be spent between 2016 and 2030 to tackle the infrastructure deficit in Central Asia. Central Asia’s geographical and cultural proximity to China’s Xinjiang, along with the associated positive or negative spillover effects, informs Beijing’s focus on these states.
