The arrival of the new normal era in China and its economic strategic change against Central Asia
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Shin Jiyeon 
Published: June 2018

Central Asia major 5 countries(Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan: and less ‘Central Asian countries’) did not readily escape from the economic dependence on Russia by continuing their persistent economic exchanges based on their historic ties with Russia after becoming independent of Soviet Union(Russia) in 1991. Still recently, the energy industry which has supported Central Asia economy collapsed, as well as Russia, the largest trading partner of central Asia countries has been in the economic recession. Keeping number two in the world on the standard of the amount of oil production, Russia has an direct influence on neighbor nations’ economic development with its economy aggravated because of the fall of Russian rouble according to low oil price and its domestic economic recession.
Meanwhile, as the emerging Central Asian countries have depended on Chinese economy more since the later of 1990, there is also the assessment that the economic tripple effect China has currently had on Central Asia has already overtaken Russia. China has already been an important cooperative partner with central Asian countries in every respect such as trade and investment, and from now it is expected that China will have been an economic partner futhermore, that the partnership will extend to the aspects of politics and national security. Particularly, it is expected China will suggest more aggressive and comprehensive economic cooperative relationship to these countries included in the whole area on recent the strength of extension of national power and one-to-one thrust.
The existing study on Central Asian countries’ economical policies against China consists of many aspects like the changes considered in the dimension of energy diplomacy, one-to-one thrust, the arrangement of foundation for establishment of the new Silk Road Economic Belt, the trial to find their industrial cooperative measures with China caused by the industrial diversification movement in each of Central Asian countries. However, in this study, in the midst of their deepened economic interdependence, I intend to find, the basic cause of the change of Central Asian countries’ economic policies against China, in the executed modification of China’s economic development model. That is to say, currently, with the arrival of the new normal era, China seeks to switch from the existing way toward investment and demand to the way toward consumption and supply. In an extension of this economic development structure reform in China, lies the change of Central Asian countries’ economic policies against China. As a matter of fact, the cases of the economic cooperation of Central Asia with China measure up to China’s economic reform policies. Therefore, from now on, we will be able to see that China’s economic strategy against Central Asian countries is closely connected to the economic reform policies.
Hence, through this study, first of all, I will examine the economic cooperative structure and situation, and the cooperative elements of China with central Asia, next, I will analyse the main factors which brought such changes of policies to China-particularly, the deepened dependence of central Asia on China. Finally, with the contents of China’s economic reform, I will intend to discuss the future direction of the economic policies of China against central Asia.