Impact of Sino-Russia Cooperation and Competition on Central Asia after 9/11: An Analytical Study

Abstract

The energy-rich Central Asian region (CAR) has been in the news ever since the demise of the Soviet Union. This landlocked region shares frontiers with China, Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan. The Sino-Russian mutual relations have had an immense impact on the whole CAR. Russia directly ruled the region for more than a century. However, with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Beijing increased its influence in the region. These two giants of the world politics manage their interests through different regional organizations such as the SCO, CIS, CSTO, and the EAEU. After 9/11, the Central Asian region gained special attention when the US began operations in Afghanistan. Initially, China and Russia welcomed and supported American activities but the ‘colour revolutions’ in the former Soviet republics prompted China and Russia to build strategic partnerships to check American activity in the neighbourhood. The basic purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of cooperation and competition between China and Russia in Central Asia. Applying the qualitative method, it also highlights the effects of the Sino-Russian relationship in this region.