Towards a new silk road ? Assessing China’s new influence in Central Asia
Practical information
15 years ago, Beijing’s foreign policy started to turn toward its Western border. This has led analysts to ask whether the People’s Republic of China is seeking to redefine the region.
Since the economic and financial crisis of 2008, China’s role in Central Asia’s political economy has become significant. In Xi Jinping’s initiative of a « new silk road economic belt » connecting China to Europe, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are playing a central role in Beijing’s new economic development strategy. However the boom in commercial exchanges between China and the Central Asian countries is unfolding against a backdrop of high political instability in the region and a shaky Sino-Russian relationship. The seminar will focus on the political issues at stake in the recent Sino-Central Asian rapprochement. Specifically, it will look at the extent to which Beijing has been able to contain the nationalist aspirations expressed by minority populations straddling the Sino-Central Asian borders.
This seminar will be in French.
Speakers :
Marlène Laruelle, Research Professor of International Affairs; Director, Central Asia Program; Associate Director, Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
Rémi Castets, Associate Professor, University of Bordeaux Montaigne
Discussant: Juliette Genevaz, TransAtlantic Postdoctoral fellow (TAPIR), Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Chair: Françoise Nicolas, Senior Research Fellow and Director, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
The report (in French) is available for download below.
Other events
From Ambition to Action: Exploring Technological Partnerships with India
The 16th EU-India Summit, held on January 27th in New Delhi with European leaders António Costa, Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks a significant milestone in deepening EU-India relations. At the same time, official bilateral visits from EU member states are on the rise, including that of the French President, who visited India in February to participate in the Artificial Intelligence Summit. As India asserts its technological ambitions and seeks to reduce its dependence on China, Europe is stepping up its efforts to diversify its strategic partnerships.
The Enlargement of the European Union: A Strategic Choice? France, the Western Balkans and the EU in an Uncertain Geopolitical Context
Russia’s war against Ukraine has brought the enlargement of the European Union back to the centre of European strategic debates. In this context, the Western Balkans have regained heightened visibility in discussions on the continent’s security, at a time when the international environment is marked by a growing number of destabilising factors.