Yavuz Celik from China!
Antonio Zapata Velasco's direction, in the field of Global Studies at the Shanghai University. My PhD thesis title is "China's Growing Economic Influence in Border Countries of Central Asia since 1991: The Case of Kazakhstan''.
In my studies, I focus on; Chinese Foreign Policy, the Sino-Central Asian relationship, Growing China's economic influence on the Central Asian states, China-Kazakhstan bilateral Relationship.
My
PhD research is designed to provide answers to two questions; what factors most
affect China's growing economic influence in Central Asia, and the case of
Kazakhstan? And: why does China's
economic influence grow in Central Asia despite significant challenges? To
answer these questions, I am searching for some positive factors and some
challenges. On the one hand, positive factors concerning China's growing
influence in Central Asia are Multilateralism, Cooperation (Investments),
Interdependence. On the other hand, challenges consist of Anti-Chinese
sentiment, debt liability, and external actors' influence in Central Asian
countries. These challenges require feasible solutions, and Beijing is trying
to overcome these challenges by focusing on the problems, increasing the amount
of the investments and explain China’s aims that desire to establish a win-win
relationship. Considering these assumptions, my study's main objective is that
positive factors outweighed this balance contribute to China’s growing
influence in Central Asia. To
narrow the research’s scope, I chose Kazakhstan as a case study within the
Central Asian states because it has a comparably well-developed economy, has a
borderline with China, and significant anti-Chinese sentiment as a challenging
factor.
I have been interested
in Chinese studies since my bachelor's degree; during my university years, I
studied China's news in the Turkish press between 1967 and 1979, focusing on
the newspapers “Cumhureiyet”, and “Tercüman” and it gave me some information about that period. China was taking my attention due to its ancient history,
culture, and its strong economic potential. China has become one of the most
popular study abroad destinations for international students thanks to its long
history, exciting culture, economic conditions. I have never regretted
the decision to go to China for my postgraduate education. Of course, it has
not always been easy being a country that is significantly different in culture
and far away from home. Despite some challenges, the pleasure of overcoming all
the problems day by day, the desire to learn more about China, and
understanding the underlying reasons behind how China became successful in the
international area, motivate me to keep learning more about China. I still
remember how I was excited when I learned that I got the opportunity to do my
master and PhD in China. I was very determined to understand the growing
Chinese influence all over the world.
I have greatly enjoyed
the experiences working within the field of China's foreign policy dynamics to
Central Asia and growing economic influence in the region, particularly on
Kazakhstan, and I have developed a wide range of different points research
skills, including to see from different perspectives such as view from the regions
states as well as China’s perspective. Following the dissolution of the Soviet
Union, Chinese economic influence in Central Asia has increased. Since Central
Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan) were weak economically and somehow unstable politically, China has
put more economic influence in the region. Today, their economic conditions
have improved, and Chinese investments contribute to this; trade volumes
between China and the five regional states had roared since the 1990s when they
fluctuated between $ 350 million and $ 750 million annually. In 2016, trade
volumes reached $ 30 billion. Central Asian republics are approaching a
cornerstone for their history in which their economies and - somehow their
policies - are shaped more towards Chinese influence rather than Russia's,
considering that China's economic plans and infrastructure activities
particularly under the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) framework and other
multilateral institutions have bolstered this scenario. The BRI conjures historical memories of the Silk Road, based on
trade, the exchange between countries in the past. At present, the BRI is
designed to further China’s economic presence in some of the regions and
Central Asia is one of those.
China's rise in
economic growth was initiated by Deng Xiaoping's open-door policy in the 1970s.
The need to understand China's growing economic influence initial research
interest for my research the reasons behind the success. So far, according to
the Chinese perspective of Central Asia, the more infrastructure they fund, the
more economic development will be in the Central Asian region. Therefore, China
has significantly used institutions such as the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) to solve border problems and establish more cooperation;
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIBB), which is a multilateral
development bank, was established to fund the region's states. The BRI (credits
and investment) is contributing to the region's political stability. China's
Belt & Road Initiative, which Xi Jinping introduced in 2013, is likely to
consolidate China's economic influence further. Furthermore, Chinese loans have
played a significant role in Kazakhstan's economic recovery, and it is one of
the elements that contribute to growing Chinese economic influence in the
country. Furthermore, I intensely believe that China will assume a stronger
role in world affairs. I am very interested in continuing my studies to prove
my desire to find more information about growing Chinese influence in the
international arena. In history, it was once said that: 条条大路通罗马 (Tiáo tiáo
dàlù tōng luómǎ) “all roads lead to Rome”, however in contemporary times
it can be said, 条条大路通中国(Tiáo tiáo dàlù
tōng zhōngguó) “all roads lead to China'', this perfectly captures the
basis of the BRI, as China aims to construct and lead this $4 trillion project.
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