New Great Game in Central Asia: Convergence and divergence among Russia, China and USA

Abstract

Central Asia and Afghanistan has been the hub of international power politics among the big powers. The ―Great Game‖ there came to an end with the disintegration of Soviet Union - creating power vacuum in the region. The big powers rushed to occupy the space so that it may not be occupied by rivals. In this way a competition started among them for different competing interests known as new ―Great Game‖. Geographic and strategic location, energy resources, market and raw material in the region have been driving forces behind the renovated interests of the big powers and their convergence and divergence in the region‘s geopolitics. Through the application of Neo-realist approach, this research has analyzed the significance of the region and competition and cooperation among Russia, China and USA. It has analyzed how big powers interests have converged and diverged in CARs and Afghanistan‘s Geo-politics and the logic behind it. The main factors of divergence among the three are related to energy and its transportation routes, market, raw materials, land route between eastern and eastern world, strategic location and its role in bringing changes in the international system and US penetration into CARs and Afghanistan militarily. It has been concluded by stating that what strategies the big powers are applying for attainment, keeping and enhancement of power. The energy resources of the region are considered the means for achieving these exalted interests. It has also been concluded by stating that though the big powers behave aggressively and self-interestedly with each other but they may have a minimum degree of cooperation to deal with shared concerns such as terrorism, separatism, poverty, smuggling, illiteracy and drug and human trafficking. It has been predicted that hot war among them does not seem possible because their interests are mostly connected with the hydrocarbon resources of the region, its infrastructure, market and raw material. In case of war the infrastructure of the energy resources and market would be destroyed and the region would face destabilization. Furthermore, all the big powers are atomic acting as a deterrent among them. Presently, the region is dominated economically by China and politically by Russia and US is struggling to mitigate the influence of Russia and china in the region. Changing geopolitical scenario of the region and shifts in the loyalties and interests of the CARs and Afghanistan may change it. The CARs to materialize its interests are using strategies such as multi-vector approach, balancing and counterbalancing, playing big powers against each other.