China as an Emerging Donor in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
China has become an important provider of development assistance (through grants and soft loans) to Central Asian states. The focus of this study is the two states of the region most in need of aid: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The paper discusses the characteristics of Chinese assistance, comparing its activities and policies in Central Asia with those in Africa, and draws conclusions about the implications of such growing engagement. Given the European Union's declared interest in the region, notably through its Strategy for Central Asia adopted in 2007, the opportunity is taken to suggest ways in which China's growing development role should be understood in Brussels.
The report is based on research trips to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in June-August 2008 supported by a grant from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is part of the Regional Competence-Building for Think Tanks project in the South Caucasus and Central Asia organized by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
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China as an Emerging Donor in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
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Founded in 2005 within Ifri, the Russia/Eurasia Center conducts research and organizes debates on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the evolution of this complex and rapidly changing geographical area in order to enrich public discourse in France and Europe and to assist in strategic, political, and economic decision-making.
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