Current Situation and Problems of Regional Cooperation between China and the Five Central Asian Countries

The article analyzes the development of economic cooperation between China and the countries of the Central Asian region – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – at the present stage. It char-acterizes the main points of contact between these states, considers the key vectors of their interaction and identifies common problems accompanying this process. Necessity of joint efforts of the countries of the region and China to build the Silk Road Economic Belt as a project that opens wide opportunities for the development of the national economy of all participants highlighted. It is emphasized that the relevance of this study is condi-tioned by the global redistribution of political and, consequently, economic positions in the world, including Central Asia; it allows to determine the role and importance of each stakeholder in modern conditions and to forecast the development strategy of the region as a whole. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that cooperation at different levels and in various spheres (energy, “green” economy, transportation) is beneficial to all parties to the interaction under study and will contribute to both strengthening the economies of the CAR states, expand-ing the sphere of influence of the PRC, and mutual understanding of the countries of the region, ensuring their ability to withstand new external challenges.