Central Asia : The New Battleground for the USA and China : Daily Current Affairs

Date: 31/10/2022

Relevance: GS-2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests.

Key Phrases: Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Central Asia, Samarkand Declaration, Natural resources rich area, Landlocked country, Secure and Stable, New Great game, Proxy war, Hegemonist Approach, Constructivist Approach, Ukraine war, Indian Ocean region, Doha talks, Taliban, Smokescreen, Nuclear dimension.

Context:

In recent years, foreign-affairs analysts have begun observing what they call the “New Great Game” in Central Asia—characterized by fierce competition between various states all aiming to increase their influence, hegemony, and power over the region.
In this ‘game’, the important players are Russia, the USA, European Union (EU), China, Turkey, Iran, and India.

Key Highlights:

The Prime Minister of India hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit in virtual format on 27 January 2022, which was attended by the Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz the Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The India-Central Asia summit marked 30 years of diplomatic relations.

Central Asia

About
- Extending from the Caspian Sea to western China’s Xinjiang region, Central Asia comprises former Soviet states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – with Russia to its north and Iran and Afghanistan in the south.
Importance of Central Asia
- The region is richly endowed with natural resources like crude oil, natural gas, gold, copper, aluminum, and iron.
  - For example, gas in Turkmenistan; oil, gas, and uranium in Kazakhstan; uranium and gas in Uzbekistan; hydropower in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
- Central Asia is not a part of India’s immediate neighborhood and therefore it doesn’t share borders with India, the issue of connectivity between the two regions becomes of paramount importance.
- Central Asia is strategically positioned as an access point between Europe and Asia and offers vast potential for trade, investment, and growth.
India and Connect Central Asia policy 2012
- India's 'Connect Central Asia' Policy is a broad-based approach, including political, security, economic and cultural connections.

Challenges in Central Asia

“Secure and Stable” Central Asia would contribute “directly” to the USA’s counterterrorism efforts.
With the Ukraine war continuing, Russia has fewer resources to spare for security situations across Central Asia.
China does not seem “ready” to provide a security umbrella to Central Asia or Afghanistan.
In June 2021, the UN Security Council report documented the presence of 8,000 to 10,000 foreign fighters in Afghanistan, mostly affiliated with the Taliban and hailing from the north Caucasus region of Russia, Pakistan, and China’s Xinjiang province.

China’s Hegemonist Approach:

Xinjiang is a province in the northwest part of China that provides a critical link to the country’s BRI.
It is home to the Uyghurs, one of a number of persecuted Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. Beijing is facing accusations of using hardline methods to suppress the Uyghurs.
Following their independence, the CARs countries, which are home to an estimated 400,000 Uyghurs, became the hub of anti-China political activities.
Even generally, since ancient times, the people of Central Asia have had strong cultural and political ties with the indigenous people of Xinjiang.
Beijing regarded CARs as vital not only for its security but also as a gateway to the markets of Eurasia, Europe and Russia.
Central Asian countries, rich in hydrocarbon resources, were considered vital for diversifying China’s domestic energy mix, especially considering its disputes in the South China Sea with Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

About
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization that includes China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, and Iran.
- It was founded on 15 June 2001 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.
- India and Pakistan joined SCO in 2017 and Iran was admitted as the 9th member of SCO in the 21st annual summit in 2021.
- It is the world's largest regional organization in terms of geographic scope and population, covering approximately 60% of the area of Eurasia, 40% of the world population, and more than 30% of the global GDP.
- India takes over SCO rotating presidency, to host SCO summit of 2023.
Samarkand Declaration
- The Samarkand declaration was adopted by the council of heads of government of the SCO.
- It pointed out the series of challenges and headwinds to be faced by humanity in the 21st century.
  - It mentioned Climate change, Terrorism, Technological disruptions, Global reduction in investment flows, Instability in the supply chain, Increased protectionist measures, and Other barriers to international trade.

Way Forward:

Central and South Asian countries should pool their resources and cooperate on a multi-pronged approach to counter the security threats on them.
Addressing ethnic and economic divisions in the Ferghana Valley is essential to preventing ISKP from spreading throughout the region.
Successfully countering ISKP propaganda will require concerted efforts from South and Central Asian countries.
- On the government front, countries should first invest in workshops and training sessions to equip regional law enforcement agencies and NGOs to develop targeted digital communications countering violent extremism programs.
  - These programs would enable communities to identify harmful online rhetoric and prevent them from disseminating among the general populace.
- Jumpstarting counter-propaganda campaigns in communities most susceptible to ISKP communications would form a shield against ISKP and other terrorist recruiting schemes.

Conclusion:

Rising anti-Chinese sentiments within the region and security threats from the Taliban allow New Delhi and Central Asia to reimagine their engagement.

Source: Indian Express

Mains Question:

Q. Increasing footprint of China in Central Asia presents challenges to the diplomacy of India. Critically analyze the statement. Also, suggest measures to solve this issue.
(250 Words).