Abstract
The rivalry and competition in Central Asia among great powers can best be described as “different piles of chips” which are playing their part to secure their interests. Great powers are trying to capture and to make influence over the region as it was the idea of Mackinder that one can control the heartland of Eurasia, will ultimately control the world. Internally, these Central Asian states are too weak to cope with the external threats and this region has various entities and divergent geo political milieu. In the wake of the 21st century, energy security has become a very crucial issue and great powers require much more energy resources to meet their needs. The Gulf region has great significance due to its oil and gas reservoirs as it has the world’s largest energy reservoirs. Central Asia is one of the best options for great powers Russia, China and USA.
Conceptual Analysis
The change of global regime from bi-polarity to uni-polarity has culminated in the dominance of the sole super power of the world i.e. the USA but the conflicts on contradicting ideologies has ended now. The power politics is still a relevant phenomenon but the equilibrium pivot of the global chess board has been changed and now supremacy over the energy resources is the sole aim of the great powers to assert their influence in the world politics.
Geo-economic interests are overlapping and even replacing the concepts of geo-politics and the ongoing phenomenon of multi-polarity has made the important balancing role of great powers of the globe i.e. China, Russia and USA very crucial for global peace. Central Asia is a very vast region and it cannot be controlled by one power. It has become a severe headache for the policy makers due to its huge energy reservoirs as well as ethnic conflicts and great power rivalry in the region. (Haider & Bakht, 2012).
Analytical Note
The great powers (Russia, China, US) have a cherry–picking approach in this region. The convergence of interests of the great powers has triggered a tough competition and produced potentials for clashes in this region. Russia and China have their security as well as economic interests in Central Asian region. Any kind of destabilization in this region will affect the domestic security of Russia and Xinxiang, the province of China directly. So the security of Central Asian states is the mutual goal of the great powers.
The US is using economic policies to strengthen its position in Central Asia. Moreover, the US is also involved militarily in the region and it is a massive threat for China. China is also trying to show its involvement in the region in soft manners which are the basic rule of instrumentalism. (Haider, 2014).
After the incident of 9/11, the US established air bases in Central Asia to counter the threat of Taliban in Afghanistan. Russia also wants its influence in the region and to keep away China’s influence from central Asian region. China built infrastructure in these states and started many economic policies in this region which help to make its influence and hegemony over the region.
The activities of Islamic movement of Uzbekistan were controlled by the areas of Afghanistan and their main objective was to create instability inside the Central Asian region. (Warikoo, 2010).
The economic and strategic relations of central Asian states are considered by the rival strategies of US, Russia and China. The main reason of this rivalry is the hydrocarbon reservoirs of Central Asia. Presence and strategic capabilities are required to control gas and oil transport infrastructure. “Competing and confronting interests of the Russia, USA, and China are the grounds of strategic rivalry in the region.”(Kurecic, 2010).
The presence of Russia and China made US policy makers insecure how to have their strategic interests. After 9/11, the world entered in new era. US started war against terrorism and established bases in Central Asia. Russia who wanted to enhance its relation with the US supported US policy of war against terrorism. It helped Russia to stabilize its relation with the US. Russia also supported the US military troops to be entered and stationed in the Central Asian region. (Youngling, 2008).
In 2001-2002, Putin agreed to the highly doubtful American projects to use Central Asian air domes and allowed the U.S. to use Russia’s airspace. Recently, the Chinese-Russian connections are more productive and balanced because of SCO framework. This is due to the convergence of interests of Russia and China to improve strategic stability in Central Asia to cope the menace emerged through “Colour Revolution”, the existence of the NATO armed contingent in Afghanistan and finally through the socio-economic growth of Central Asian states.
A Joint Declaration in March 26, 2007 was signed by Russia and China with the aim of the PRC and RF “to contribute in every way possible to expand the ties of SCO with the Eurasian Economic Community and the Collective Security Treaty Organization”, in which Russia plays leading role. But at the same time, both of them have divergence of interests on the issue of import of Turkmenistan gas and it is here that conflict of interests emerges between the two great powers in Central Asia. Negotiation is needed to solve this issue. But it’s important matter whether Turkmenistan has sufficient gas assets to accomplish its requirements to both of the partners. (Youngling, 2008).
After September 9/11, US made direct military to military relations with these states. This led to the success of US in Afghanistan. US direct intervention in this region and stationing its troops urged China and Russia. China and Russia’s interest are converged in strategic as well as economic realms. Threat of Islamic extremism has brought the two countries closer together. SCO established in 2001 to cope the menace of frightening escalation of US in Central Asia. (Virginia, 2014).
Through this platform, China and Russia persuaded Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to vacant their territorial borders from the US troops. (Phellan, 2012) The increasing influence and cooperation of Russia and China was also a threat for USA to secure its interests. Mutual cooperation between Russia and China over the issue of nuclear crises of Iran and issue of North Korea demonstrated as a threat for USA’s interests in the region. USA deemed that it could not put sanctions or launch military operation unilaterally and the Bush administration adopted the policy to normalize its relation with Russia and China.
Central Asian states are more inclined towards China to eliminate “three evils” rather than US and Russia. China is countering US influence in this region through SCO. The increasing politico, economic and strategic interests between Central Asia and China has gigantic allegations for the US. The US considers this region vital due to its reservoirs and it’s an impressive energy divergence option for the US. The need of the day for US is to engage Central Asia by different economic policies. The more rational and affirmative way is required in this regard. (Haider, 2014).
Russia is unable to keep its hold on Central Asia and US is unaware about the broad understanding of the Central Asian states. China is the only great power who is playing the role of core interlocutor in this new Great Game. Although China has no expansionist aim, yet it could disturb the balance of power equation in the region. In the wake of Russia’s resurgence in Ukraine recently, it has lost its influence over Central Asian region. (Matlack, 2014).
Alexander Cooley describes in his book that three great powers have their individual interests in this region and it is the main reason of the absence of any major confrontation in this region among three great powers. Now it has become a key trade partner of this region. In the wake of the 21st century, the power politics equation in this region has been changed. After the presence of US troops in Central Asia and China as a key trade partner of this region, Russia has lost its influence in the region. The interactions of great power in Central Asia have “become a natural experimentation for detecting the dynamics of a multi-polar world, containing the decay of U.S. authority, the pushback against Western efforts to endorse democratization and human rights, and the escalation of China as an exterior contributor and regional leader”. (Cooley, 2012).
As concerned with Energy security, the relationship between China and Russia is straightforward. China is considered to be one of the fastest and major energy markets in the world while Russia is also considered the biggest producer of hydrocarbons in the world. Russia and China are neighbors and the transport of energy reservoirs is quite straightforward. There is no risk of pipelines or sea shipments in the direct transport of these reservoirs. It has become indispensable for both of the countries to develop long-term relationship related to strategic energy concerns. (Peterson, 2011).
China and Russia declared a joint statement and stressed the importance of international security .The leaders of both the countries are interested to promote coordination and cooperation in Central Asia through the platform of SCO in order to achieve their aim to enhance multilateral diplomacy. (Wishnick, 2011). At the 4th summit of CICA (conference on interaction and confidence building measures in Asia) Russia and China promise to strengthen their strategic partnership. And Central Asia can provide them the platform to strength their relationship. (Virginia, 2014).
Energy war in the Caspian Basin was at its peak in 2009. The China’s pipeline and the Iranian pipeline were inaugurated in 14 Dec 2009 and 6 Jan 2010 respectively and it transformed the energy map of Central Asia. Putin originated an oil station adjacent the Far- Eastern seaport of Nakhodka for the export of $22billion oil pipeline from Eastern Siberia to the Pacific. Nabucco project was faced a massive threat in Batumi in 2010, when the states of Poland, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Lithuania refused to attend energy summit. Energy security has now become a very crucial issue of the various countries especially for “The highly competitive nature of the Central Asian international-political environment is amply confirmed by the public diplomacy the external actors are using in the region.
Murat Laumulin explains that Russia is dependent on various regional cooperation organizations like CSTO (collective security treaty organization) and EEC (Eurasian Economic Community) to strengthen its influence in Central Asia. Spanish expert’s emphasis that China is rapidly strengthens its presence in the region and is also a dynamic force in the platform of SCO. In 2007, Central Asia and EU adopted a strategy for a New Partnership which helped to uphold the geo political activities of EU in the region but it failed due to geo political specifies of Central Asia. (Laruelle, 2010).
Conclusion
USA elucidates its commitment and relationships with Central Asian countries; it must anticipate the economic development of the region as a long term security concern. However, ultimate adjustments endure in the U.S. policy objectives, which comprise access to military bases in Central Asia, regional solidity, enduring economic and political liberalization, right to use energy resources and decreasing the flow of sedatives to the world market. “A “nuanced” approach may be necessary to deal with the more authoritarian regimes in Central Asia”. (Oliker, 2006).
In the wake of the 21st century, China, Russia and USA are trying to strengthen their relations with Central Asia. China has inaugurated many economic projects in the region and both Russia and China are trying to cut down the hegemony of USA in Central Asia. They established SCO to enhance their role in the Central Asia. USA also wants to use Central Asia’s energy reservoirs for its purposes. The paradox of relation of three great powers in Central Asia is complex to some extent as every state is trying to hanker after its own national interests.
References
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Haider, W. (2014). China’s growing role in Central Asia and implications for the United States. The Advance Contemporasry Affairs Book ,Advance Publishers.
Kurecic, P. (2010). The New Great Game: Rivalry of Geo Strategies and Geo-Economies in Central Asia. Available at, the+new+great+game:rivalry+of+geo+strategic+and+geo+economics+in+Central+Asia&ie=utf-8&oe=utf 8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox beta&channel=np&source=hp&gws_rd=cr&ei=m9J9U67XL_CY1AX614DAAg (Access date 30/04/2014).
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Matlack,C. (2014). Putin is Losing out to China in Central Asia’s latest Great Game. Bloomberg Business weak.
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Contributed by:
Musharaf Rubab
Government College University Faisalabad | GCUF · Department of Political Science
