For China, the Central Asian countries are of strategic importance due to the presence of hydrocarbon resources. Recently, the Beijing intensifies significantly expand energy cooperation with countries of the region.
Over the past decade, China has actively participated in projects to develop the economies of Central Asia , becoming a strategic partner. China attaches special importance to relations with Kazakhstan . The focus of Beijing are hydrocarbon resources of the country. In accordance with the Declaration on Strategic Partnership in the first place , the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the energy sphere. Especially in the field to increase production of oil and gas.
China's strategy is aimed at establishing its control over the region of Central Asia. This will then allow China to provide access to the shelf of the Caspian Sea , rich in oil and gas reserves . For infrastructure projects . Beijing carries out massive loans . Only in recent years , Kazakhstan has received about $ 20 billion in loans for the implementation of energy projects.
Chinese oil and gas assets acquired over the last decade in the countries of Central Asia have become a powerful tool of political influence Beijing to countries in the region . Noted the rapid increase in the share of the dynamics of Chinese companies in oil and gas projects.
Importantly, the active lending economies of Central Asia and the acquisition of assets in the oil and gas sector in the region has allowed China to achieve lower prices for hydrocarbon resources . Similar successes Beijing significantly reduced real cooperation between Central Asia and the EU. Increasing concern in the EU cause Beijing's efforts to establish a new regional pipeline infrastructure. Start of construction of a new gas pipeline from Turkmenistan significantly expands potential in the Chinese energy sector in Central Asia. A new branch of the pipeline is to increase gas exports to China by 25 billion cubic meters. m and secured supply for China's gas resources of Central Asia.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that these Chinese projects in the sphere of production and transportation of hydrocarbons act as instruments of Chinese foreign policy. And it aims to establish effective control over the resource rich region of Central Asia.
Beijing has never been interested in strengthening the influence of the EU , which offered the Central Asian countries to participate in new pipeline projects . Their implementation is not in the interests of Beijing, which tends to close up all the hydrocarbon resources of Central Asia. A regional cooperation between China and Russia in Central Asia in the field of energy , began to retreat into the background. Obtaining reliable access to oil and gas fields along with the implementation of infrastructure projects was one of the priorities of Chinese policy in Eurasia.\
Interest in obtaining reliable access to raw materials in Central Asia will increase competition in China is not only the EU but also with Russia for influence in the region.
