Background

China’s relations with its Central Asian neighbours have been complicated. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Central Asia has been crucial for Chinese foreign policy for two reasons. First, the security of its north-western province of Xinjiang, where Uyghurs (a Turkic speaking Muslim ethnic group) having ethno-cultural similarity with the Central Asian population has been facing Chinese repression. Beijing was fearful about Uyghurs getting any support from Central Asia to manoeuvre their anti-Chinese activities. Secondly, Central Asia serves as a powerhouse to China’s increasing energy demand for its burgeoning industrial capacity.