The evolution of China’s foreign policy towards Central Asia after 2012

Central Asian States - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – declared their independence in 1991 after dissolution of Soviet Union. The move was recognized immediately by UN member states, including China which has built its diplomatic relations in the following year of independence. Since then, China has developed strong relations with all CA states mostly in the regional security area. However, China’s approach towards Central Asia entered a new era after BRI announcement in 2013 in Kazakhstan. Therefore, this paper analyses China’s gigantic economic project (BRI) in Central Asia and how it has influenced in the evolution of China’s foreign policy towards the region since 2012. By looking into historical relations between China and Central Asia, the paper navigates into the contemporary relationship of China and Central Asia in order to understand the trajectory of China’s foreign policy in the offensive realism perspective.