The Chinese Question in Central Asia: Domestic Order, Social Change, and the Chinese Factor.

• Author: Shlapentokh, Dmitry
• Position: Book review

THE CHINESE QUESTION IN CENTRAL ASIA

Domestic Order, Social Change, and the Chinese Factor

Authors: Marlene Laruelle and Sebastien Peyrouse

Published by: Columbia University Press, New York, 2012, 71 pp, US$50.

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China's relationship with Central Asia has become increasingly important to the Middle Kingdom. What is the reason for this? Some Central Asia watchers proclaim that Central Asia is important for a very simple reason. According to the rule of geo-politics --and here Halford Mackinder's Heartland Theory would be employed --that region is not just a part of the Eurasian heartland but the most important place of the 'world island'. In addition, Central Asia is rich in raw materials, and this is the reason why it has become so important to China; and The Chinese Question in Central Asia provides a detailed account of China's quest for the Central Asian energy market.

According to authors Marlene Laruelle and Sebastian Peyrouse, soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union China needed to find a source for importing oil. Several countries emerged as most important for China. Kazakhstan was apparently one of the first that started to forge a relationship with China in the early 1990s, when Nursultan Nazarbaev, Kazakhstan's president, supposedly advocated 'Eurasianism' with its stress on symbiosis between Russia and Kazakhstan. China reciprocated Kazakhstan's overtures and was attracted by Kazakhstan's natural resources.

Besides oil, Kazakhstan gas became quite desirable to Beijing, as the authors note: 'In 2010, China ran approximately a . quarter of Kazakh production, mainly through Aktobemunaigas, Turgal Petroleum, Kumkal Resources, and Karazhanbas Munay.'

Turkmenistan also emerged as one of the most important countries for China in Central Asia. 'In April 2006, Turkmenistan and China signed their first energy agreement, according to which, by 2004, Ashgabat will deliver to Beijing 30 BCM/a per year for the next thirty years.' It looks like Mackinder's theory is vindicated and that China is interested in Central Asia because it is following in Mackinder's footsteps. This is definitely a good point. Still, one should not apply Mackinder's theory in its totality. Rather, one should ask why Central Asia should be regarded as the most important part of Mackinder's heartland for Beijing. After all, Central Asian states are not as rich in natural resources, such as gas and oil, as other countries, including those of...