Kazakhstan as a Center of Gravity in Central Asia in the Clash between the USA and China

Abstract

For centuries, Central Asia has been a crossroads of Eurasia, or "the intersection of East and West," making it an "interesting" region. It was the confluence point of four civilizations, which were controlled and controlled by the peoples of Central Asia.

Today, Central Asia has become an arena of competition and rivalry between the great powers (regional and non-regional), which affects the relations between them, as well as the strength of the balance, thus influencing the "international structure.

"Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, Central Asia has been undergoing a new stage of geopolitical transformation. Some experts say that Central Asia is returning to the Great Game of the nineteenth century - only with new players".

The main external players – Russia, the U.S., the EU, and China - have declared their support for peace, stability, and regional cooperation in Central Asia - declarations that are, of course, welcome in the region. But there is also some friction between them.

All Central Asian countries identify Russia as a major foreign policy priority and recognize its interests in Central Asia. The Russian Federation, for its part, also claims the importance of developing relations with the countries of the region.

However, due to several objective and subjective factors, relations between Russia and the Central Asian republics face some difficulties. Nevertheless, relations between Central Asia and Russia, despite some differences in their positions and assessments, are quite pragmatic and encompass political, economic, military, educational, and cultural cooperation.