China's energy policy towards Central Asia and the role of "Belt and Road" Initiative

Historically, the Central Asian region has had a strategic importance because of its geopolitical location. On the other hand, since China has the long borders with the region, it has always had strong political economic and cultural relations with neighbouring countries. Today, China has indispensable effects in the countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. This thesis examines China's energy policy towards Central Asia within the framework of "Belt and Road" Initiative. The multilateral transportation, energy and military security collaborations that China tries to establish with its neighbours in the Central Asian region are important tools to increase China's economic influence in the region. China is building the Belt and Road Initiative, the largest infrastructure project in history, to improve these relations with the countries in the region. China also uses this project to improve its trade relations with the West. On the other hand resource rich Central Asia is immensely significant for China to provide its energy security. Even if the regional collaborations that China is trying to create seem to be a win-win relationship from the outside, there is an aim to be accepted as an economic and military superpower in global politics by improving the regional power of China and providing border security. In this thesis, based on the above prediction, China's regional policies will be analysed with a Realist approach.