Central Asian ‘Characteristics’ on China’s New Silk Road: The Role of Landscape and the Politics of Infrastructure

Abstract

China's $1 trillion One Belt, One Road (OBOR) infrastructure project has significant landscape, socio-economic, and political implications in recipient countries. To date, investigation has focused on Chinese motivation and plans rather than OBOR impact in host nations. This paper examines the programme from the perspective of two Central Asian states-Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan-that are at the heart of OBOR. We identify geographical factors that constrain infrastructure, recognise geopolitical contestation between Russia and China, address historical and cultural factors, and consider issues of institutional capacity and marginality that may be impediments to China's initiative. The discussion then focuses on how OBOR may play out in Central Asian landscapes and suggests how to conceive and address the unprecedented transformation in the region's built environment. Critical issues are that OBOR has not been grounded in the physical geography, practical understanding of OBOR's impacts is missing, and the state-citizen-China nexus remains unexplored. As pivot nations, OBOR implementation in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will showcase the Chinese programme's strengths and highlight its weaknesses.

Environmental Conservation in the Tibetan Plateau Region: Lessons for China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the Mountains of Central Asia

“…Insights about China's BRI stem from published literature and media, as well as personal exchanges and interactions with Chinese and non-Chinese colleagues, and participation in recent BRI-related workshops [41][42][43][44][45].…”

“…A range of BRI projects are already underway in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and many Chinese provinces are competing for BRI resources, and thus, have developed BRI-related plans [141]. Internationally, however, the potential opportunities and benefits along with challenges and costs of BRI for recipient countries beyond China's borders are much less obvious, having received significantly less attention to date (but see [41,45,150]).…”

“…Specifically, the lessons learned "at home" in China should be leveraged to inform and guide future developments not only in the Sanjiangyuan region, but also more widely across the entire Tibetan Plateau environment [54], the vast grasslands and arid lands in western China [34,35,104,133], and even extending into the mountains of Central Asia, where China, through its BRI, is now playing a decisive role in shaping the future across multiple sectors and in many countries [41,45,162].…”

“…Through BRI, China is now expanding its geographic scope and socioeconomic and political influence in unprecedented ways. Neighboring mountain areas in Central Asia are amongst the first locations to be considered and receive major BRI inputs, yet little is known about BRI impacts on the receiving side; most studies to date have focused mainly on global considerations or on motivations from China's perspective [45]. The introduction and application of lessons learned in China that are relevant to these receiving geographies and the potential impacts of BRI on the environment and local people and communities' socioeconomic development and wellbeing are, thus, highly pertinent.…”

Oil, Gas and Energy Business under One Belt One Road Strategic Context

“…Global energy trading is improving due to the improvement of information technology but physical flows of the product through logistic companies need to be smooth [20]. However, internal and domestic business can easily handle than global trade because of bearing some risks and uncertainties.…”