China’s Growing Presence in Central Asia: Will Russia’s Dominance Come to an End?

This article aims to explore what policies China has followed to enhance its presence over Central Asia from 1991 to 2025 and to inquire whether China is to challenge the longstanding Russian domination in the region.The article suggests that, since the dissolution of the USSR, China has been carrying out political, economic, diplomatic, military, and commercial activities in Central Asia, which has dramatically increased its influence over the region.However, China's objective in these policies is not to challenge the Russian hegemony in Central Asia, but to make a burden-sharing with Russia.It is argued in the article that Russia and China are not in a competition, but in a cooperation as they need each other to prevent any Western influence in Central Asia, to provide security and stability over the region against threats like ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and terrorism, and to help the friendly secular regimes to stay in power.Moreover, this Sino-Russian cooperation has not stopped Russia from staying as a strong actor in Central Asia.Though China has enhanced its presence in the region through various tools such as international organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, investments, pipeline projects, and the Belt and Road Initiative; Russia is still a determining power as it enjoys control especially through the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.In the light of the information presented, the article concludes that, between China and Russia, no conflict stemming from China's rising power is visible in the near future in Central Asia as the Sino-Russian cooperation has been useful so far for these two countries to attain the aforementioned goals.