"War Of Symbols":the Symbolic Dimension Of The Interaction Between The Great Powers And The Central Asian Countries

Due to its key geographical location and abundant natural resources,Central Asia is gaining its position in the world’s geopolitical landscape.We aim to explore why the relations between Russia,the United States,China and the other Central Asian countries show three different states under the premise of similar historical background and intervention means.The relationship between Russia and Central Asian countries has been fluctuating,the relationship between the United States and Central Asian Countries has remained calm,and the relationship between China and Central Asian Countries has continued to improve.We choose Symbolic Interactionism to analyze and compare the different identity symbols constructed by the three major powers of Russia,the United States,and China in the Central Asia,as well as their interaction process.We analyze the policy choices and effects made by Central Asian Countries when interacting with extraterritorial powers.We believe that in the interaction between Russia and Central Asian countries,Central Asian Countries have explicitly or implicitly rejected the identity of "little brother" granted by Russia,and the degree of respect for the sovereignty of Central Asian Countries affects the relationship between the two sides.In the interaction between Central Asian Countries and the United States,the United States initially positioned itself as "an example for Central Asian Countries to follow" and spared no effort to promote western-style democracy in Central Asia,which caused the relationship between the two sides to deteriorate until the United States no longer regarded the Central Asian region as an important concern.In the interaction between Central Asian Countries and China,at the beginning of independence,Central Asian Countries did not have unrealistic expectations for the development of China Central Asia Relations.Instead,they reached consensus within regional cooperation frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the the Belt and Road Initiative,and accumulated more and more trust.China’s positioning of partnership with Central Asian Countries has also given them the respect they expect,further enhancing the relationship between China and Central Asian Countries.Exploring the factors that influence the different interactive effects between extraterritorial powers and Central Asian Countries has certain theoretical and practical significance.At the theoretical level,it helps to make up for the shortcomings of the "New Great Game" perspective that places too much emphasis on material interest competition and neglects symbolic value competition,and may make corresponding contributions to the study of small powers in International Relations.At the level of practical significance,it is conducive to objectively reflecting the special conditions and corresponding interests of Central Asian Countries,eliminating the long-standing stigmatization of Central Asian Countries by Western scholars,and providing certain policy enlightenment for China’s peripheral diplomacy.