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China’s silk road economic belt initiative in Central Asia: economic and security implications

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  • Bhavna Dave

    (SOAS University of London)

  • Yuka Kobayashi

    (SOAS University of London)

Abstract

The Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) initiative, launched by Xi Jinping in 2013 as the Central Asian component of the Eurasian Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is presented as a trade and infrastructural developmental initiative that benefits all to deliver stability. It consolidates Beijing’s existing economic investments and security-building measures, while launching new projects to link the regions of Central Asia and South Asia more closely with China and extend the arc of security westward and develop these as a transport corridor linking China to Europe. This article examines the interaction between China’s infrastructural investments and security dynamics in the Central Asian region, exploring why the BRI/SREB, presented by China as primarily as a developmental vision, is fraught with wide-ranging security implications. We examine the reception of China’s BRI/SREB in Central Asia focusing on the following three dimensions: (1) the lure of Chinese investments which makes SREB particularly attractive for Central Asian countries; (2) the securitization thrust of the Silk Road initiative which consolidates the power of the Central Asian regimes but also grants considerable role to China in managing security arrangements; (3) elite maneuvering between the lure of Chinese investments and appeasing popular anxieties about China’s growing influence. It points to the overall positive reception in the region to the aid and investment offered by China, while noting the variance in their responses based on the implications of SREB for their sovereignty and security and also concerns on whether the promised benefits of connectivity and development (a “win-win” scenario) will materialize. The article concludes by outlining the implications of China’s rising economic and security engagement in Central Asia and the close Sino-Russian partnership for European financial and security interests and highlights the areas of cooperation and complementarity between China and EU in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhavna Dave & Yuka Kobayashi, 2018. "China’s silk road economic belt initiative in Central Asia: economic and security implications," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 267-281, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiaeu:v:16:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s10308-018-0513-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10308-018-0513-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brautigam, Deborah, 2011. "The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199606290.
    2. Cooley, Alexander, 2012. "Great Games, Local Rules: The New Great Power Contest in Central Asia," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199929825.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Pengfei Xi & Shiyang Lai & Xueying Wang & Weiqiang Huang, 2020. "Using detrended deconvolution foreign exchange network to identify currency status," Papers 2008.09482, arXiv.org.
    3. Sidong Zhao & Yiran Yan & Jing Han, 2021. "Industrial Land Change in Chinese Silk Road Cities and Its Influence on Environments," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-30, July.
    4. Xiang Feng & Ben Derudder & Liang Dai & Wei Shen & Rui Shao & Peter J. Taylor, 2024. "Comparative analysis of the connectivity of world cities in Europe and Asia through the lens of advanced producer service networks," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 121-144, March.
    5. Ben Derudder & Xiang Feng & Wei Shen & Rui Shao & Peter J. Taylor, 2022. "Connections between Asian and European World Cities: Measurement, Analysis, and Evaluation," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-23, September.
    6. Sebastian Krapohl & Alexandra Vasileva-Dienes, 2020. "The region that isn't: China, Russia and the failure of regional integration in Central Asia," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 347-366, September.
    7. Mariia Nikolaevna, 2020. "Current State and Perspectives of Securitization Processes in the Russian Federation," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 13(3), pages 45-55, December.

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