China's Involvement in Central Asian Petroleum and Its Strategic Implication for Usa and Russia

China's involvement in Central Asian Petroleum and its strategic implication for USA and Russia

A sudden collapse of Soviet Union gave a new impetus for great powers to fulfill vacuum in Central Asia under the name of “new great game” framework. China’s involvement to Central Asia over the past decade has its obvious political and strategic interests in terms of establishing influence on the region, maintaining regional stability, and involving to economic cooperation. It’s mainly due to substantial amount of energy reserves of the region and in its turn, energy as a tool of foreign policy of China is directed to outside influence of great powers in region. China’s emergence in Central Asia and its occurring political and strategic interests can be observed in the context of its implication over Russia and US. So, in the paper emergence of China in region and its strategic implication for USA and Russiawill be discussed.

China presence in Central Asia is both respond to its economic demands over the energy and geopolitical implications. With the dissolution of Soviet, China got an opportunity to be engaged to Central Asia. The recognition of new independent states of Central Asia was the first step and further step was taken with the official visit of Chinese premier, Li Peng. The main point of this visit was to reach agreements on China’s western border problems and convince Asian states to fight against separatism as a security concern. At the same time, an agreement on cross-border pipeline between China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the Turkmen Petroleum Ministry was materialized. It is also true that, China seemed important for Central Asia countries in terms of land-locked location and need open to sea, and an alternative to Russia hegemony in region. On the other hand, the fact to decrease dependency of China from Sea lines of oil transport made clear of China position in Central Asia. Discovering of Kazakhstan’s substantial oil field became another stimulating factor. The project ofOil Pipeline between the CNPC and Kazakhstan Oil Company was realized in 2003. In addition, Atasu-Alashankou oil pipeline came into view in 2005 and became in effect in 2006. An agreement on gas export was achieved between China and Turkmenistan since 2009 in the set of future 30 years. Some achievements also obtained with other Central Asian states. The closer ties with China are also standing in the interests of CentralAsian states. Hence, China can be stand against monopoly of Russia in region.

China and Russia can be favorable partner in security issues, but not in energy aspect. For Russia, running of Central Asia energy throw controlling