CONTENTS Acknowledgements... i-ii Contents... iii-viii List of Tables, Maps, Graphs & Figures... ix-x Abbreviations... xi-xiii Preface... xiv-xvi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION... l-40 1.1 Background... 1-4 1.2 Basic Features ofthe Study Area... 4 1.2.1 Geographic Features... 4-7 1.2.2 Human Development Index (HDI)... 7-8 1.2.3 Socio-cultural Composition... 8-1 0 1.3. China and Central Asia: Geopolitical Linkages... 10 1.3.1 Geo-strategic Location... 11 1.3.2 Geo-economic Importance... 11-12 1.3.3 Newness ofthe Region... 12 1.3.4 Europe- Asia Relations in the Post Soviet Era...l2-13 1.3.5 The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)... B-15 1.3.6 Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA):... 15-18 1.3.7 China's Advancement in Central Asia Through Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SC0)... 18-22 1.3.8 Central Asia after 9/11 and the Chinese Response... 22-25 1.3.9 Colour Revolutions in CIS and Kyrgyzstan and the Chinese Response... 25 28 1.3.10 Beijing Olympics 2008, Tibet Uprising and Western Development Strategy...,28-31 1.4 Russia, China and the USA in Central Asian Region... 31-37 1.5 Scope and Significance of the Study... 37-38 1.6 Objectives ofthe Study... 38 1.7 Hypotl!,eses... 38 iii
1.8 Methodology of the Study... 38-40 1.9 Summary... 40 CHAPTER 2: CHANGING CONCEPT OF GEOPOLITICS IN COURSE OF TIME... 41-79 2.1 Section A: Concept of Geopolitics in the Changing Courses of Time...41 2.1.1. Introduction... 41-42 2.1.1.1 Geography and Politics...42-45 2.1.1.2 What is Geopolitics... 46 2.1.1.2.1 Definition... 46-47 2.1.1.2.2 Areas ofinterest.... 47-48 2.1.1.2.3 Different Geopolitical Perspective...48-49 2.1.2 Geopolitics and International Relations...49-50 2.1.3 Evolution of Geopolitical Thought..... ~... 50~51 2.1.3.1 Ancient... 51 2.1.3.1.1 Herodotus... 51 2.1.3.1.2 Strabo... 51-52 2.1.3.2 Renaissances and Age of Discovery... 52-53 2.1.3.3 Age ofimperialism... 53 2.1.4 Modem Geopolitical theories... 53 2.1.4.1 Ratzel...,... 53 2.1.4.2 A.T. Mahan... 54-56 2.1.4.3 H.J. Mackinder... 56-62 2.1.4.4 Nicholas 1. Spykman... 62-64 2.1.4.5 Rudolf Kjellen... 64 2.1.4.6 Karl Haushofer... 64-66 2.1.4. 7 Saul B. Cohen....-... 66-68 2.1.5 Critical Approaches to Geopolitics... 68 2.1.5.1 Karl Wittfogeal.... 68-69 2.1.5.2 Isaiah Bowman... 69-70 2.1.5.3 An Imperialists Ideology... 70-72 2.2 Section B: Review ofliterature... 72 2.2.1 Geopolitics in Central Asia... n-74 2.2.2 Central Asia and Chinese geo-economic relationship... ~... 74-76 IV
2.2.3 Central Asian geopolitics and Chinese Security Interest... 76-78 2.3 Summary... 78-79 '. CHAPTER 3: CENTRAL ASIA AND CHINA'S GEOPOLITICAL LINKAGES IN MACKINDER'S HEARTLAND MODEL... S0-125 3.1 Introduction... :... 80 3.2 Mackinder's Concept of Heartland... 80 3.2.1 Heartland: Geographical Demarcation... 80-81 3.2.2 Heartland: Strategically defined... 81 3.2.3 Heartland Theory... 82 3.2.4 Critical Evaluation of the Heartland Theory... 82 3.3 Central Asian region as the heart of the Heartland... ;... 83 3.4 Contemporary Geopolitical treatment to the Heartland... 84 3.4.1 Anglo-Russian Rivalry in the 19th Century... 84 3.4.2 Central Asian region and cold war geopolitics... S-87 3.4.3 Brzezinski's strategic thinking in the Eurasian landmass... 87 3.5 Regional and Global powers operating in the Central Asian region... 87-89 3.6 Part A: Global Powers... 89 3.6.1 United States- Central Asia... 89-94 3.6.2 Russia- Central Asia... 94-96 3.6.3 NATO- Central Asia... 97-99 3.7 Part B: Regional Powers... 99 3.7.1 India- Central Asia... 99-103 3. 7.2 Pakistan- Central Asia... 1 03-106 3. 7.3 Iran- Central Asia...! 06-109 3. 7.4 Turkey- Central Asia....1 09-112 3.8 China's as a Potential Power in the Heartland region... 112 3.8.1 China's geopolitical setting and its links with the Central Asian region....112-118 3.8.2 Distance as a factor (Central Asia and China shares territorial borders)... 118 3.8.3 Location (regional and world), as a factor in the interrelation between China and Central Asia....ll9-120 3.8.3.1 World Location... 121 v
3.8.3.2 Regional Location... 122 3.8.4 China- Xinjiang- Central Asian region (geopolitical space between Central Asian region and China)... ~....l22-125 CHAPTER 4: CENTRAL ASIAN GEOPOLITICS AND SECURITY ISSUES FOR CENTRAL ASIAN STATES AND CHINA... 126-161 4.1 Central Asian Security Dilemmas...:... 126 4.1.1 Fear ofregime Changes..,... 126-127 4.1.1.1 Tulip Revolution (Kyrgyzstan)... 127-128 4.1.1.2 Andijan Crisis (Uzbekistan)... 128-130 4.1.1.3 Political Changes in Kyrgyzstan (April6, 2010)... 130-132 4.1.2 US Military Bases in the Central Asian Region after 9/1 1.....132-136 4.1.3 The Islamic Fundamentalism... 136-138 4.1.4 Fear of Russian Dependency... 138-139 4.1.5 Fear of Chinese Dominance... 139-141 4.2 Chinese Security Threat Linked within Central Asian Geopolitical Space... 141. 4.2.1 Interna1.... 141 4.2.1.1 Separatist movement in XUAR...l41-143 4.2.1.1.1 Khotan Uprising (1954)... 143 4.2.1.1.2 Illi Disturbance (1962)... 143 4.2.1.1.3 East Turkistan People's Revolutionary Party (ETPRP)... 143-144 4.2.1.1.4 Baren Uprising (1990)...144 4.2.1.1.5 Impact of Soviet Disintegration and Independence of Central Asians States on Xinjiang Separatist Movement...... 144-146 4.2.1.1.6 Chinese Policy to handle the Uighur separatist Problem... 146-149 4.2.1.2 Domino Effect of Central Asian Colour Revolutions in Chinese Western Provinces... l49-150 4.2.2 External factor... 150 4.2.2.1 China's Border Security in Western Front...... l50-151 4.2.2.2 Fear of Strategic Encirclement by the US...,...151-152 4.2.2.3 NATO's march in Central Asian Region...152-153 Vl
4.3 Chinese Diplomatic Efforts to Counter the Security Threat.....! 53 4.3.1 Strengthening Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SC0)...153-156 4.3.2 Russia-China Cooperation... 156-158 4.3.3 Improving Bilateral Relations with Central Asian States...158 4.3.3.1 China-Kazakhstan... 159 4.3.3.2 China- Kyrgyzstan... l59-160 4.3.3.3 China- Tajikistan... 160-161 4.4 Summary... 161 CHAPTER 5: CENTRAL ASIAN GEO-ECONOMICS AND CHINA'S ASPIRATIONS... ~... 162-205 5.1 Introduction... 162 5.2 Part A- Energy... 162-164 5.2.1 Central Asian Oil and Gas Resources...l64-167 5.2.2 China's Oil and Gas Resources...167-170 5.2.3 Existing and Proposed Pipelines to Export Central Asian Oil and Gas Resources...171 5.2.3.1 Atyrau-Samara Pipeline...171 5.2.3.2 Caspian Pipeline Consortium ( CPC)... 171 5.2.3.3 Central Asia Centre (CAC) Pipeline... ~... 171-172 5.2.3.4 Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline... 172 5.2.3.5 Trans-Caspian Pipeline (TCP)... 172 5.2.3.6 The 3,300-kilometer Nabucco Pipeline... 172-173 5.2.3.7 First, Turkmenistan-Iran Pipeline... 173 5.2.3.8 Second, Turkmenistan-Iran Pipeline... 173 5.2.3.9 Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (T API) Pipeline...:... 173 5.2.3.10 Kazakhstan-China Pipeline... 173-174 5.2.3.11 Turkmenistan- China Pipelin... 174-175 5.2.4 The Geopolitics ofthe Pipelines in Central Asian Region...l75-179 5.2.5 Geopolitical Advantage to Central Asian States in their Efforts to Diversify the Energy Market and Pipeline Routes... 179 5.2.5.1 The Kazakhstan-China Oil Pipeline...179-181 5.2.5.2 Turkmenistan-China Gas Pipeline...181-183 vii
5.2.6 Geopolitical Advantage to China from Kazakhstan-China Oil Pipeline and Turkmenistan-China Gas Pipeline (Security and Economic Aspects)... 183 5.2.6.1 Import From Sea Route is not Safe... 183-187 5.2.6.2 Overland Transport is Secure as Well as Cheap... 187 5.2.6.3 Diversification of Energy Sources will Ensure China's Energy Security... 187-188 5.3 PartB-Trade... 188 5.3.1 Trade Relation Between Central Asia and China... 188-190 5.3.1.1 Structure of Central Asia-China Trade Relations... 190 5.3.1.1.1 Central Asia's export to China (85% consists o Natural Resources... 190 5.3.1.1.2 China's export to Central Asia (85% consists of finished goods)...191-192 5.3.1.2 To Support the trade there are Border posts land ports on both sides.. 192-193 5.3.1.2.1 Sino-Kazakh Border Posts... 194-195 5.3.1.2.2 Sino-Kyrgyz Border Posts... 195 5.3.1.2.3 Sino-Tajik Border Posts... 195 5.3.1.3 China's Western Development Strategy...;...l95-199 5.3.1.4 Revival of Great Silk Route making transport linkages... 199-202 5.3.1.5 Possible Gains from Revival of Silk Road to Central Asian States and China... 202.:204 5.3.1.6 Chinese Investment in the Central Asia States... 204 5.4 Summary...;... 205 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION... 206-218 REFERENCES... 219-238 Vlll
List of Tables Table No. 1.1..... Human Development Index (HDI) of Central Asia, Russia. and China in 2007 Table No. 1.2... Socio-Cultural Composition of Central Asia, Russia and China Table No. 5.1... Crude Oil: Reserve, Production and Export in Central Asian Region Table No. 5.2... Natural Gas: Reserve, Production and Export in Central Asian Region Table No. 5.3... China Increasing Oil and Gas Import Table No. 5.4... Volume of Trade Between Central Asia and China (1992-2006) Table No. 5.5... Major Land Ports in Xinjiang List of Maps Map No. l.l..... Central Asia and Its Neighbouring Countries Map No. 1.2... Major Geographic Features of the Central Asian Region Map No. 2.l..... Mackinder's Concept ofpivot area Map No. 2.2... Mackinder's World 1943 Map No. 2.3... The World ofspykman Map No. 2.4... Haushofer's Division of Pan-Regions Map No. 2.5...,... Worlds Geostrategic Regions and Their Geopolitical regions Map No. 3.1..... Location of Central Asian Region in The Heart of All the Three Models ofmackinder's Heartland (1904, 1919, 1943) Map No. 3.2... China and Its Neighbouring Countries Map No. 3.3... China and Its Buffer Region in Geopolitical Terms Map No. 3.4... Xinjiang and its Central Asian Borderlands Map No. 5.1..... The Oil Pipeline in Central Asia Map No. 5.2... The Gas Pipelines in Central Asia Map No. 5.3... The West-East Gas Pipeline in China List of Graphs Graph No. 5.1... Increasing Import of Crude Oil in China (2008-2009) Graph No. 5.2....Increasing Import ofnatural in Gas in China (2001-2008) IX
' Graph No. 5.3... Volume oftrade Between Central Asia and China (1992-2006) List of Figures Figure 3.1..... Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces Operating in Xinjiang Uighyur Autonomous Region of China X