Comparative Analyses Of Russia,China,and The USA Initiatives In Central Asia

The process of globalization and globalism in general has led to a great interest in the regional subsystems of international relations.The importance of regional-level international politics continues to rise.For the past decade,Russia,China,and the USA have showed their determination to adapt regional politics to their interests.Emerged interest in the Central Asia region is often described as “the new great game”.The article presents a comparative analysis of regional Initiatives “Eurasian Economic Union”,“Silk Road Economic Belt” and “New Silk Road”.I focus my attention on how Russia,China,and the USA are framing those Initiatives,and the way Russian,Chinese and American ruling elites interpret regional-level international politics.I argue that Initiatives in Central Asia region by Russia,China,and the USA show different visions of Great Powers on regionalism in Central Asia.Russia and USA define regionalism in Central Asia in territorial terms,while China uses functional regionalism,which helps to increase China’s links with the outside world.Russia interprets regionalism as a way to create appropriate conditions for the integration of the post-Soviet space,and thus sees regionalism in spatial terms.USA Initiative New Silk Road also show a territorial way of organizing regional order in Central Asia,transforming the region within the framework of the doctrine of Greater Central Asia.Different views on the arrangement of regional order lead to the possibility of Initiatives to complement each other.One Bet One Road Initiative provides the EAEU with new opportunities.In return,China gets a clear partner for Chinese investors who receive common rules of operation throughout the EAEU.USA and China also have a number of common interests.Areas of possible cooperation include electricity,customs system regulation,and transport infrastructure.The evaluation of results of three Initiatives in Kazakhstan showed that the “Silk Road Economic Belt” Initiative is improving the quality of economic interaction between Kazakhstan and other members;the “Eurasian Economic Union” Initiative seeks to increase economic power of the Union and Kazakhstan as its member;the “New Silk Road” Initiative of the USA creates higher connectivity between Central Asia states.It is hoped that this study will help to understand the relations between Great Powers and regionalism,which will contribute to the further implementation of Initiatives,and the preservation of peace and stability in the region of Central Asia.