How realistic is Belt and Road Initiative for Kyrgyzstan and Central Asian Countries?

Kiyalbek Akmoldoev

No 2022-5, Discourses in Social Market Economy from OrdnungsPolitisches Portal (OPO)

Abstract: Due to the geographical location of the Central Asian countries and Kyrgyzstan, which do not have direct access to the sea, there is a dependence on the transport route via Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus to trade goods with the European market. The Chinese BRI project would offer an alternative for Central Asian countries to connect economically with European, Middle Eastern and West Asian countries. However, turning away from Russia and toward China holds potential for conflict. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to analyze the BRI projects in Central Asia and predict how realistic it is to implement them without the "permission" of the Russian Federation. In doing so, it takes a closer look at the strategic interest for China in Central Asia and how the BRI project in Kyrgyzstan is performing. The SWOT analysis points to a win-win situation, which, however, comes with a warning to be cautious. Particular attention should be paid to financial dependence on China, which could be due to a debt trap.

Keywords: Belt and Road Initiative; Kyrgyzstan; Geopolitics; Debt-Trap; Silk Road Route (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cis, nep-cna, nep-int, nep-ppm and nep-tra
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:opodis:20225

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