Feng Yujun:China’s Strategy Toward Central Asia: Interests, Principles and Policy Tools
12 Jun, 2019  |  Source:International Relations, 2019, vol. 12  |  Hits:8718
recent years, the Central Asian countries have been actively carrying out the docking between their own development strategies and China’s “Belt and Road” initiative to seek common development. China is Kazakhstan’s second largest trading partner and sixth largest source of investment. During 2012–2016 China-Kazakhstan total trade rose from $ 13.1 billion to $ 28.5 billion. China’s exports to Kazakhstan consist mainly of light equipment products such as machinery, electronics, textiles and clothing, and imports from Kazakhstan are mainly oil, natural gas, minerals (copper, uranium, etc.), grain and other agricultural products. According to official statistics of Kazakhstan, by the end of 2016, China’s direct investment in Kazakhstan is US $ 3.51 billion (accounting for 2.7 % of Kazakhstan’s total foreign direct investment stock), but according to the statistics of China, it was $  5.432 billion. There are 2637 Chinese enterprises registered in Kazakhstan, mainly involving mineral exploration and development, petrochemicals, gas stations, agricultural products processing, catering and accommodation [4]. As of May 2017, the total number of key cooperation projects in the “Belt and Road” framework of China and Kazakhstan totals $ 27 billion. 34 projects have been completed, such as Aktoga’s dressing plant that produces 2500 tons of copper per year, Pavlodar’s factory that produces 2500 tons electrolytic aluminum per year. 43 projects are now being implemented, such as deep processing of petroleum of Atyrau Refinery. In addition, Sino-Kazakhstan logistics base (Lianyungang), Lianyungang SCO international logistics park and “Horgos-Dongdamen” special economic zone officially opened. Horgos is already in operation. Sino-Kazakhstan High-tech Industrial Park and the Agricultural Products Processing Logistics Park are under construction. 

China is Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner and largest source of investment. From 2012 to 2016, China-Uzbekistan’s total trade rose to $ 4.551 billion from $ 2.875 billion. As of the end of 2016, China’s direct investment stock in Uzbekistan was 1.058 billion, and the cumulative amount of various types of loans was about $ 5.5 billion. China has registered 704 enterprises and 74 representative offices in Uzbekistan and a total of more than 70 cooperation projects have been implemented, mainly concentrating in the fields of energy, mineral resources development, electronics and light industry [5]. China-Uzbekistan cooperation projects mainly include: the construction of Pengsheng Industrial Park in the Sil River State; solar water heater produced by Hangzhou Zhongwu Electronic Instrument Co., Ltd. and Gizak State Grid Corporation Wuxi Suntech Solar Co., Ltd; solar panels produced by Wuxi Suntech Solar Company in Navoi; ZTE Corporation produces smartphones in Pengsheng Industrial Park; ZTE’s smartphones produced in Pengsheng Industrial Park, refrigerators and TV sets produced by Midea and Changhong in Pengsheng Park and engineering contracting project for the Camchik Tunnel of the Anglian-Pap Railway. 

China is the largest trading partner, the largest source of investment and largest creditor of Tajikistan. From 2012 to 2016, the trade volume of Sino-Tajikistan Trade rose from $ 1.556 billion to $ 2.517 billion. As of the end of 2016, China’s non-financial direct investment in Tajikistan is $ 1,167 million ($ 272 million in 2016) [6]. There are two main aspects of the Sino-Tajikistan Cooperation project: the engineering contracting projects mainly include the Wahdat-Yawan Bridge and Tunnel Project No. 1 Tunnel and the China-Tajikistan Highway Phase II; the industrial park mainly includes China-Tajikistan Industrial Park, which develops and processes lead-zinc mines, China-Tajikistan New Silk Road Agricultural Textile Industrial Park, which is engaged in cotton planting and processing, and China-Tajikistan Agricultural Processing Park, which grows and processes food and vegetables. 

China is the largest trading partner, largest creditor and second largest source of investment of Kyrgyzstan. From 2012 to 2016, bilateral trade volume between China and Kyrgyzstan rose to $ 5.376 billion from $ 4.342 billion. As of the end of 2016, China’s accumulated investment balance in Kyrgyzstan is 1.071 billion (about 1/4 of the accumulated balance of foreign investment in Kyrgyzstan). A total of 265 companies were registered, mainly investing in petrochemical, mineral resources mining, building materials and other fields [6]. The major cooperation projects between China and Tajikistan are mainly engineering contracting, such as Highway Planning and rail network planning of China Road and Bridge Group, “Datka-Keming” 500 by North-South Power Grid built by TB Group, reconstruction of substations and Bishkek thermal power plant renovation projects, reconstruction project of substation and Bishkek Thermal Power Plant, the Nalun River step station that State Grid Corporation of China developed, and China National Petroleum Group’s medium-to-earth natural gas pipeline D line [6]. The main capacity cooperation projects include cement plants and fertilizer plants invested by Chinese companies in Kyrgyzstan. 

China is Turkmenistan’s largest trading partner. From 2012 to 2016, bilateral trade volume increased from 5,902 to 10,469 billion U. S. dollars (depending on gas prices). At the end of 2016, the stock of China’s direct investment to Turkmenistan was 564.9 million dollars (according to Chinese statistics, the figure was $ 249 million) [7]. China-Turkmenistan cooperation mainly focuses on large projects in the

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