Chapter 5 China’s Belt and Road Initiative through the lens of Central Asia
Journal: Directory of Open access Books (OAPEN Foundation)
Year: 2019

This chapter makes an empirical contribution by studying whether the launch of BRI has led to a shift in Central Asian attitudes towards and perceptions of China. We discuss the interaction between China and each of the five Central Asian states, highlighting local attitudes towards and perceptions of the big neighbour. We focus on economic interaction, infrastructure and education initiatives as they are among the main pillars of the BRI agenda, while acknowledging that cooperation on political