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In this global era, Central Asia must be understood in both geo-economic and geopolitical terms. The region's natural resources compel the attention of rivalrous great powers and ambitious internal factions. The local regimes are caught between the need for international collaborations to valorize these riches and the need to maintain control over them in the interest of state sovereignty. Russia and China dominate the horizon, with other global players close behind; meanwhile, neighboring countries are fractious and unstable with real potential for contagion. This pathbreaking introduction to Central Asia in contemporary international economic and political context answers the needs of both academic and professional audiences and is suitable for course adoption.
This book is the first comprehensive introduction to contemporary Turkmenistan in English. One of the least-known states of post-Soviet Central Asia, Turkmenistan is thought to have the world's fourth largest reserves of natural gas as well as substantial oil resources; it also exports hydroelectric power. Despite these resource riches, the country has remained isolated even in independence. Its Communist-era leader, Saparmurat Niyazov, who retained power after the collapse of the USSR, constructed a personality cult of extreme dimensions until his sudden death in 2006. Despite a few hopeful signs, Turkmenistan under its current president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, has not delineated a clear path of political and economic development. Drawing on Russian and Western sources as well as fieldwork, this book examines the political, social, economic, and geopolitical dimensions of contemporary Turkmenistan and considers the prospects for its emergence as a political and economic factor in the twenty-first century world.
This handbook is the first collection of comprehensive teaching materials for teachers and students of Central Asian Studies (CAS) with a strong pedagogic dimension. It presents 22 chapters, clustered around five themes, with contributions from more than 19 scholars, all leading experts in the field of CAS and Eurasian Studies. This collection is not only a reference work for scholars branching out to different disciplines of CAS but also for scholars from other disciplines broadening their scope to CAS. It addresses post-colonial frameworks and also untangles topics from their ‘Soviet’ reference frame. It aims to de-exoticize the region and draws parallels to European or to historically...
Throughout history, Central Asia has formed an important strategic link between the East and the West and been described as the ‘great pivot’ in the early-twentieth century. This book looks at the relations between the Central Asian states and major external powers. It shows how these nations have kept the fragile geopolitics of the region free of the so-called ‘New Great Game’. The volume evaluates the roles of major powers such as Russia, United States, China, Iran, and Turkey, as well as India and its ‘Silk Road Strategy’. It also compares the regional geopolitics of Central Asia with its neighbour Caucasus. The study indicates how, despite limited inter-state cooperation, the region has prevented conflicts and wars, due to which these states have been able to enjoy greater strategic autonomy in their dealings with other countries. The book will benefit scholars and researchers of international relations, political and strategic studies, area studies, and Central Asian studies apart from the interested general reader.
This book provides a comprehensive assessment of the perspective and approaches to Afghan security taken by the states bordering and in close proximity to Afghanistan, and the transnational dynamics that interconnect these states with Afghanistan and one another.
Jacopo Maria Pepe examines the rapid development of non-energy transport infrastructure in the broader Eurasian space. By doing so, the author considers the ongoing structural transformation of the Eurasian continent against the backdrop of deepening commercial interconnectivity in Eurasia into broader areas of trade, supported by the rapid development of rail connectivity. He frames this process in a long-wave historical analysis and considers in detail the geopolitical, geo-economic, and theoretical implications of deepening physical connectivity for the relationships among China, Russia, Central Asia, and the European Union.
This report responds to the mandate for the Committee ¿to monitor, investigate, and report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the U.S. and the People¿s Republic of China.¿ Includes detailed treatment of investigations of the following areas: The U.S.-China Trade and Economic Relationship; China¿s Activities Directly Affecting U.S. Security Interests; China in Asia; China¿s Media and Information Controls -- The Impact in China and the U.S.; Comprehensive List of the Commission¿s Recommendations; Additional Views of Commissioners; Appendices. Charts and tables.
What does it take to reform a post-Soviet police force? This book explores the conditions in which a meaningful transformation of the police is likely to succeed and when it will fail. Based on the analysis of five post-Soviet countries that have officially embarked on police reform efforts, Erica Marat examines various pathways to transforming how the state relates to society through policing.
A third edition of this book is now available. This comprehensive and thoroughly updated introduction to Chinese foreign relations discerns the opportunities and limits China faces as it seeks increased international influence. Tracing the record of twists and turns in Chinese foreign relations since the end of the Cold War, Robert G. Sutter provides a nuanced analysis that shows that despite popular perceptions of its growing power, Beijing is hampered by both domestic and international constraints. This text's balanced and meticulous assessment shows China's leaders exerting more influence in world affairs but remaining far from dominant. Facing numerous contradictions and tradeoffs, they move cautiously as they deal with a complex global environment.