cautious “non-confrontation” principle, and strive to resolve differences with Central Asian countries through equal consultation and deal with relations with other big powers in Central Asia. There are many variables affecting this region due to the political, economic, and social and security vulnerabilities of Central Asia. This region is affected by internal and external changes to a greater extent, and its development has obvious variability, uncertainty and unpredictability. At the same time, Central Asia is one of the important regions for international geopolitical competition. Many world and regional powers have their own interests and influences in this region. Therefore, China’s policy toward Central Asia is very cautious. Starting from the idea of peaceful development and a harmonious world, China follows the principle of nonconfrontation, not using the Cold War mentality, not engaging in “zero-sum games”, not disapproving of seeing Central Asia as a “big chess game” and opposing the recurrence of the “big game”. While non-confrontation does not mean that China gives up its position and interests, China firmly maintains its principles and defends its legitimate rights and interests in Central Asia. 

The fourth is not to seek to establish a sphere of influence. China actively participates in regional cooperation in Central Asia, but does not seek to establish its own sphere of influence. From objective conditions, this is not impossible. China actively promotes the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), but does not intend to form a military and political group in Central Asia. China does not want SCO to become a NATO-like organization. China is striving to develop relations with the region, but China’s intention is to carry out regional cooperation, rather than compete for dominance with other countries, and does not intend to challenge any big power [2]. 

In this regard, China fully understands the traditional influence and real interests of Russia in Central Asia. Central Asia was subordinated to the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union for a century and a half. The long-term rule of Russia and the former Soviet Union in Central Asia left a huge historical legacy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, although Central Asian countries began a new national renaissance, the influence of Russia still profoundly existed. The traces of “Russification” of Central Asian countries are very obvious in language, culture, education, social life, political management, and even the way of thinking. In reality, Russia and Central Asian countries have close links in political, economic, security, diplomatic, and humanistic fields. Russia’s influence on Central Asia is extensive and deep. Russia has important security and economic interests in Central Asia. China not only fully understands and pays high attention to this, but also conducts in-depth cooperation with Russia and Central Asian countries through the important platform of SCO in practice, safeguarding the security and stability of Central Asia and promoting the development of Central Asia. 

The fifth is to build a “harmonious region” in Central Asia. Establishing a harmonious region is a universal policy of China’s diplomacy, not only in Central Asia, but also in other regions. However, in terms of building a harmonious region, Central Asia has a certain special significance for Chinese diplomacy. It is for Central Asia that China first proposed the concept of a harmonious region. In June 2006, in his speech at the SCO summit in Shanghai, Chinese President Hu Jintao proposed to build the region into a “harmonious region of lasting peace and common prosperity” [3]. This may be the first time that China has applied the policy of a harmonious region to a specific region. It is in Central Asia that China first put forward the “Shanghai Spirit” of “mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and seeking common development”. It is in Central Asia that China systematically proposed a new security concept and a cooperative view of common security, non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting to third countries. It is still in Central Asia that China first attempts to establish a new regional cooperation organization. It may not be accidental and it reflects the fact that Central Asia is a region suitable for China to introduce a new concept of diplomacy and is also suitable for China to try to apply its new idea to practice. In this regard, Central Asia can play a leading role in the process of establishing a harmonious region.

III. The Policy Tools of China’s Strategy toward Central Asia 

On the basis of obvious strategic interests and strategic principles, China has deepened all-round cooperation with Central Asian countries through a series of policy tools in the past 30 years and achieved good results. 

The first is to compromise the border issues left over by history, eliminate potential conflicts, and continuously strengthen cooperation in traditional and non-traditional security. In May 2002, Kazakhstan and China signed a demarcation protocol, drawing a satisfactory conclusion for the solution of the Sino-Kazakh border issue. Among the former Soviet Union countries, Kazakhstan took the lead in completely resolving the border issues left over by history with China. In the same month, China and Tajikistan signed the “Border Supplementary Agreement” and finally reached an agreement in the disputed area. In June 2002, the President of Kyrgyzstan signed an order to approve the relevant agreement on the Sino-Kyrgyz border, marking that the Sino-Kyrgyzstan border issues are fully resolved. The long land boundary line