The New Silk Road - One Belt One Road and the Republic of Kazakhstan: Geopolitics, geoeconomics and national and geopolitical identity aspects
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Published:
May 12, 2021
Keywords:
Geo-economics, Greater Eurasia, China, Kazakhstan, One Belt One Road.
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Abstract
The present article is devoted to the problem of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) as one of the principal initiatives for trans-Eurasian integration currently being promoted by the People’s Republic of China, in the light of the interests and aspirations of the Republic of Kazakhstan as one of its key participants. Proceeding from the empirical evidence on the subject matter, the researcher reflects on the potential impacts and challenges provided by the OBOR to Kazakhstan’s geopolitical and geo-economic strategy and identity. It is assumed that the Republic of Kazakhstan may both gain additional geo-economic clout through participating in the OBOR and overturn the balance among its geopolitical and geo-economic partners (including Russian Federation and the European Union). In so doing, the key takeaway from the discussion is that Kazakhstan should seek to develop a more balanced and holistic position toward its geo-economic and geopolitical partnerships in Greater Eurasia, so as to avoid potentially negative consequences for its overall strategic position.
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Riakhanov, S. . (2021). The New Silk Road - One Belt One Road and the Republic of Kazakhstan: Geopolitics, geoeconomics and national and geopolitical identity aspects. National Interest, 1(3), 32–40. Retrieved from https://sc01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/NIT/article/view/240046
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and its implications for U.S. grand strategy. Texas National Security Review, vol. 2, no.
3, pp. 11-37, May 2019. [Online]. Available doi: 10.26153/tsw/2927 [Accessed on:
April 20,2021].
[3] F. de Soyres, A. Mulabdic, S. Murray, N. Rocha, and M. Ruta, 2019. How much will the Belt
and Road Initiative reduce trade costs?. International Economics, vol. 159, no. C,
2019, pp. 151-164.
[4] T. Harper, 2019. China’s Eurasia: the Belt and Road Initiative and the creation of a new
Eurasian power. The Chinese Journal of Global Governance, vol. 5, no. 2, October 2019,
pp. 99-121.
[5] N. Kassenova, 2021. Kazakhstan and Eurasian Economic Integration: Quick Start, Mixed
Results and Uncertain Future. Paris: IFRI, 2012. [Online]. Available: https:// www.
ifri.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ifrikassenovakazandeurasianintegrationengnov2012.pdf
[Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[6] K. Baizakova and G. Yergeshkyzy. 2013. Kazakhstan and the European Union: cooperation
in regional security. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. vol. 81, 2013, pp. 558-
561.
[7] M. Witte. 2013. Xi Jinping calls for regional cooperation via new Silk Road. Astana Times,
September 11, 2013. [Online]. Available: https://astanatimes.com/2013/09/xi-jinping-
calls-for-regional-cooperation-via-new-silk-road [Accessed on: April 20, 2021]
[8] Z. Kembayev. 2020. Development of China-Kazakhstan cooperation: building the Silk
Road of the 21st century. Problems of Post-Communism, vol. 67, no. 3, 2020, pp.
204-216.
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Post. [Online]. Available: https://multimedia.scmp.com/news/china/article/One-Belt-One-
Road/khorgos.html [Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[10] Yili. 2021. These places in Xinjiang are expected to be connected by high-speed rail,
and it will take 3 hours to arrive from Urumqi to Yining! [Original Chinese: 新疆這
些地方有望通高鐵，烏魯木齊至伊寧3小時到達！]. [Online].
Available: https://read01.com/n6xyLm.html#.W2ASrdUzbDc [Accessed on: April 20,
2021].
[11] M. I. Razumovskaya, I. I. Kazak, and V. Y. Burov. 2020. China’s economic integration in
Central Asia in the context of the proclaimed “One Belt, One Road” initiative”.
Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, vol. 128, 2020, pp. 2791-
2796.
[12] N. Kassenova. 2017. China’s Silk Road and Kazakhstan’s Bright Path: linking dreams
of prosperity. Asia Policy, vol. 24, July 2017, pp. 110-116.
[13] Turkey and Eurasia Market Insights. 2018. Transport & logistics in Kazakhstan:
connecting continents. ITE Transport & Logistics. August 26, 2018. 2021 [Online].
Available: https://www.transport-exhibitions.com/Market-Insights/Turkey-and-
Eurasia/Transport-logistics-in-Kazakhstan-connecting-co [Accessed on: April 20].
[14] Economics. 2021. China’s Soft Power and Nazarbayev’s “3D” Project – Takeaways
from the One Belt One Road Forum. [Original in Russian: Мягкая сила Китая и проект
"Три Д" Назарбаева - итоги форума "Один пояс – один путь], Sputnik.kz, April 27, 2019.
[Online]. Available: https://ru.sputnik.kz/economy/20190427/9981680/odin-
poyas-odin-put-itogi.html[Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[15] S. Ho. 2021. Sharing rivers: China & Kazakhstan. China Water Risk, May 18, 2017.
[Online]. Available: https://www.chinawaterrisk.org/opinions/sharing-rivers-china-
kazakhstan [Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[16] J. Coenen, S. Bager, P. Meyfroidt. J. Newig, and E. Challies. 2021. Environmental
governance of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Environmental Policy and Governance,
vol. 31, no. 1, January / February 2021, pp. 3-17.
[17] A. Mustafina. 2014. Trans boundary water issues between Kazakhstan and China. IOSR
Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 19, no. 1, January 2014, pp. 91-94.
[18] A. Serikkaliyeva, A. Amirbek and E. s. Batmaz. 2018. Chinese institutional diplomacy
toward Kazakhstan: the SCO and the New Silk Road Initiative. Insight Turkey, vol.
20, no. 4, Fall 2018, pp. 129-152.
[19] W. Jin and K. Dehang. 2019. Counter-terrorism cooperation between China and Central
Asian states in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. China Quarterly of
International Strategic Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019, pp. 65-79.
[20] A. Burkhanov and Y.-W. Chen. 2016. Kazakh perspective on China, the Chinese, and
Chinese migration. Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 39, no. 12, February 2016, pp.
2129- 2148.
[21] C. Putz. 2018. Kazakhstan and the Xinjiang problem. The Diplomat, September 11,
2018. [Online]. Available: https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/kazakhstan-and-the-
xinjiang- problem [Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[22] S. Peyrouse. 2016. Discussing China: Sinophilia and Sinophobia in Central Asia. Journal
of Eurasian Studies, vol. 7, no. 1, January 2016, pp. 14-23.
[23] G. Shakhanova and J. Garlick. 2020. The Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian
Economic Union: exploring the “Greater Eurasian Partnership”. Journal of Current
Chinese Affairs, vol. 49, no. 1, May 2020, pp. 33-57.
[24] A. Kruglov. 2019. Sinophobia simmers across Central Asia. Asia Times, November 12,
2019. [Online]. Available: https://asiatimes.com/2019/11/sinophobia-simmers-
across-central-asia [Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[25] M. Kassen. 2019. Understanding foreign policy strategies of Kazakhstan: a case study
of the landlocked and transcontinental country. Cambridge Review of International
Affairs, vol. 31, no. 3-4, November 2019, pp. 314-343.
[26] A. Nurbekov. 2015. New Dubai on Kazakh-Chinese border set to change trans-
Eurasian trade. The Astana Times, October 22, 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://astanatimes.com/2015/10/new-dubai-on-kazakh-chineseborder-set-to-
change- trans-eurasian-trade [Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[27] S. E. Cornell and S. F. Starr. 2015. The EU and Kazakhstan: developing a partnership in
trade and transport, Institute for Security and Development Policy. December 22,
2015. [Online]. Available: https://isdp.eu/publication/eu-kazakhstan-developing-
partnership-trade-transport [Accessed on: April 20, 2021].
[28] I. Gigauri. 2018. The important role of Silk Road initiatives for Georgian economy. The
International Journal of Business and Management Research, vol. 2, no. 2, April 2018, pp.
419-431.
[29] T. Zimmerman. 2015. The New Silk Roads: China, the U.S., and the Future of Central
Asia. New York: New York University, Center on International Cooperation.
[30] G. Arenas. 2019. Kazakhstan: Trade Competitiveness and Diversification in the Global
Value Chains Era. World Bank Group, 2019. Accessed on
: April 20, 2021 [Online]. Available: http://documents1.worldbank.org/
curated/en/274611580795362180/text/Kazakhstan-Trade-Competitiveness-and-
Diversification-in-the-Global-Value-Chains-Era.txt [Accessed: 27.03.2021].