Confronting Terrorism and the Transformation of China's Regional Foreign Policy in Central Asia (2002-2016)

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, Central Asia, as a newly emerging region, became the scene of rivalry between regional and trans-regional actors, each of which was aiming to leave its own distinct and effective trail on the region. Under these circumstances, China, which has long been engaged in traditional links and close ties with the countries of the region, pursued a progressive regional foreign policy, and sought to provide appropriate multidimensional fields for promoting its national interests and national economic goals in Central Asian. In other words, China's growing economy and its innovative orientation towards becoming a regional and global power have forced this government to develop relations with the countries of the region. The scope of this kind of influence has gone so far that, according to some analysts, the security and prosperity of China in relation to the region has gained a specific identity. The above-mentioned conditions, which were mutually beneficial, faced transformations in the region following the 9/11 attacks and their subsequent developments. After Hu Jintao came to power in 2002, China's foreign policy focused on reducing tension with its neighbors and regional countries. His foreign policy in Central Asia was based on regional stability. Thus, while security and development were his most important issues in confronting Central Asia, he considered the power of economic development as the only solution to the reduction or even elimination of ethnic and political tensions. The foreign policy of Xi Jinping took a more active approach. In contrast to Hu, Xi has been less optimistic about the nature of world politics and his strategy to achieve foreign policy objectives has been more decisive and aggressive. The goals of China's foreign policy in this period in relation to Central Asia are summarized as follow: Maintaining political stability in the secular states of Central Asia; increasing China's influence and limiting the influence of other powers; promoting China's economic interests through the Belt and Road Initiative. Meanwhile, the phenomenon of terrorism and the spread of terrorist activities have changed some aspects of China’s security policy toward the Central Asian region. The formation of new security ties with some countries, and designing and implementing new anti-terror laws and regulations are some examples. Based on the comparative-analytical research method, the present paper describes how the anti-terrorism approach influenced China’s foreign policy toward Central Asia under Hu and Xi.  The main question is: “How is China's regional foreign policy toward Central Asia was influential in terms of countering terrorism after September 11?” And the hypothesis is: China's foreign policy toward the Central Asian region has become more security-orientated under Xi Jingping compared to Hu Jintao, especially on the basis of the fight against terrorism.