NEW POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INITIATIVES OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CENTRAL ASIA: DIPLOMATIC PLATFORMS “CHINA+5” AND “C5+1”

Dragan Trailović

Abstract

The paper deals with the new diplomatic platforms of the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America for cooperation with the Central Asian Republics in the “5+1” format. These two formats of cooperation are seen in the context of intra-regional changes in the political structure of Central Asia, primarily changes related to the transition of power in the Central Asian republics and the launch of consultative meetings of Central Asian leaders with the aim of improving regional integration. As an analytical framework, we use the group of literature that looks at international relations and processes in this region through the lens of the English School of International Relations, especially relying on the concept of “international society”. We rely on the claim that the Central Asian states themselves have a significant influence on the processes in the political and economic structure of the region, just as the great geopolitical players have. The aim of the paper is to present a part of the new geopolitical dynamics in the region, taking into account the regional foreign policy context and its changes, using the diplomatic platforms “China+5” and “C5+1” as representative examples. The main conclusions are that through the diplomatic platform “5+1” the People’s Republic of China is introducing a political component in its relations with Central Asia with a new approach to the region as an integral whole, while the United States seeks to use the “C5+1” diplomatic platform to achieve Afghanistan’s integration into the region of Central Asia, as well as to counterbalance Chinese and Russian influence and strengthen its position in the region.

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