A Stabilizing Neighbor? The Impact of China's Engagement in Central Asia on Regional Security

The relationship between Central Asia's states and their societies is an increasingly vital determinant of regional insecurity. During the past decade, the traditionally secular populations’ frustration with their secular governments has increased considerably - and with it, their responsiveness to alternative, Islamic, forms of social and political organization. If it goes unheeded, this state of affairs may eventually undermine the international community's security- and state-building efforts in Afghanistan. Set against this background and in consideration of the region's growing linkages with its eastern neighbor, this analysis intends to shed light upon the role of China in Central Asia's state-society relations, to discuss its impact on this post-Soviet region's growing insecurity, and finally, to forge a link between China's neighborhood policy and the security of the greater Central Asian region after 2014.Die Beziehung zwischen Staat und Gesellschaft hat sich zu einem akuten Unsicherheitsfaktor in Zentralasien entwickelt. Im letzten Jahrzehnt hat die Enttäuschung der traditionell säkularen Bevölkerung über ihre ebenfalls säkularen Regierungen deutlich zugenommen - und somit auch die gesellschaftliche Aufgeschlossenheit gegenüber alternativen, islamischen Formen sozialer und politischer Organisation. Diese Entwicklung hat das Potenzial, die Bemühungen der internationalen Gemeinschaft um die Schaffung von Sicherheit und den Aufbau eines funktionierenden Staates in Afghanistan zu beeinträchtigen. Vor diesem Hintergrund und angesichts der wachsenden Verflechtungen zwischen der postsowjetischen Region Zentralasien und der Volksrepublik China verfolgt die vorliegende Analyse das Ziel, die Rolle Pekings im zentralasiatischen Staat-Gesellschaft-Geflecht zu beleuchten und die sich daraus ergebenden sicherheitspolitischen Schlüsse zu ziehen. Darauf aufbauend wird dann die Bedeutung chinesischer Nachbarschaftspolitik für die Sicherheitslage der Großregion Zentralasien auch nach 2014 reflektiert

The Value of Alternatives: Why the EU is Indispensable to Central Asian Security

The security risks of post-Soviet Central Asia are pronounced and therefore present on the agendas of most international actors, including the US, Russia, and China. The EU is also concerned, although it has hitherto not been known for political success in the region, especially in terms of security. Indeed, the EU's approach to the region - oriented toward transformation, liberalization, and democratization - has been largely labeled a failure, with minimal impact and progress. Against this background, this article will review and discuss the nature of the threats to Central Asia's security, establish the extent of the EU’s actual "failure" by examining the distinct characteristics of the EU's security approach, and, finally, reflct on how European policy can have an impact on the local security situation in the future