PRC’s interregional policy: A case study of Sino-Central Asian economic cooperation

Various forms of interregional cooperation are of increasing strategic importance in the contemporary global political context. To conceptualize them, IR scholars often employ the theory of interregionalism. While possessing significant epistemological potential, it is characterized by pronounced Eurocentrism. Its conceptual core and empirical foundation are based on the analysis of the interactions of the European Union or European countries with other regional organizations/groups of states. This naturally raises the following question: to what extent are the principles and implications of this theory relevant for studying the policies of non-Western actors? To answer this question, the author applies the theory of interregionalism to an analysis of the 25-year history of China’s economic cooperation with Central Asian (CA) countries. First, the author traces the development of theoretical research on the interregionalism phenomenon, identifying its key types and functional aspects. Building on this, the author examines the evolution of Sino-Central Asian economic cooperation since the early 21st century and distinguishes three stages in its development. The first stage (2001–2012) saw China attempt to form institutionalized interregional economic relations based on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, involving not only CA countries but also Russia. In other words, for this stage, it is more accurate to speak of Sino-Eurasian quasi-interregional interaction rather than strictly Sino-Central Asian. The second stage (2013–2022) was characterized by China’s efforts to elevate Sino-Central Asian economic cooperation to a transregional level, primarily through the active involvement of CA countries in the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative. The third stage (2022–present) is associated with the beginning of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, which prompted China to return to the principles of quasi-interregionalism in its policy toward CA countries, though now without Moscow’s participation, in order to mitigate political and economic risks. Thus, this study not only demonstrates the applicability of the interregionalism theory to the study of non-Western actors but also provides a fresh perspective on a specific case of such interregional interaction — Sino-Central Asian economic cooperation. At the same time, there is a clear need to further refine the methodology of interregional research to better adapt it to various non-Western contexts.