TTLV: The US-China Competition for Influence in Central Asia from 2001 to 2012

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name:Phan Thi Bach Tuyet                              

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: April 6, 1981

4. Place of birth: Long An

5. Decision on student admission No. 1502/2012/QD-XHNV-SDH dated August 6, 2012, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process:

7. Thesis title:The US-China competition for influence in Central Asia from 2001 to 2012

8. Major: International Relations Code: 60.31.40

9. Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Nam Tien,Faculty of International Relations - University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City

10. Summary of the thesis results:

Prior to 1991, Central Asia was known as a part of the Soviet Union, with a lower level of development than other republics within the Union, situated deep within the continent with no access to the sea. Water was an extremely valuable resource in Central Asia, the cause of several international disputes, and frequently vulnerable to external powers.

The United States and China share significant geopolitical, security, and economic interests in Central Asia. The stability of the Central Asian region is also crucial for China's strategic goal of developing the western region and diversifying its energy sources. Furthermore, the United States is seen as a new external force with significant influence in Central Asia. With the aim of maintaining its position as the number one superpower, Central Asia has become key to the US's ambitions in the Eurasian continent. The Sino-American relationship in Central Asia is a complex web of intertwined interests, encompassing both competition and cooperation, and shaping a balance of power. The US's "Greater Central Asia" policy and China's "Western expansion" strategy have made the competition on the "grand chessboard" of Central Asia even more complicated and unpredictable.

Through various forms, methods, and tools, the United States and China have increasingly penetrated the political, economic, and security lives of Central Asian countries. Besides actively promoting bilateral and multilateral relations among Central Asian nations, these two superpowers also seize opportunities to contain each other in order to increase their influence and gain the greatest possible benefits. To diminish China's influence, the US has used multilateral measures, relying on NATO, the OSCE, etc., to strengthen its military presence in Central Asia, employing the pretexts of democracy and human rights to influence the reform and transformation of Central Asian countries, and preventing China from implementing "joint governance" of Central Asia through the SCO. The US has also effectively used the tactic of strengthening bilateral relations with Central Asian countries to draw them to its side.

The US-China relationship has weathered 40 years of ups and downs and is currently the most important bilateral relationship in the world. In today's globalized and integrated world, the US-China relationship is not only governed by the two countries themselves, but is also influenced by other complex relationships within the bilateral and multilateral structures in which both the US and China participate. The relationship between these two largest powers is also a major factor impacting the contemporary world's economic and political order, where every nation and people desires peace, cooperation, friendship, equality, democracy, and progress. The process of bilateral cooperation between the US and China in Central Asia will be difficult and complex. The fundamental reason is the conflict between traditional and non-traditional security concerns. Resolving this conflict will be determined by a shift in perspective, as well as by mutual understanding between China and the US at a high strategic level.

11. Practical applications:

12. Future research directions:

13. Published works related to the thesis:

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Phan Thi Bach Tuyet 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: August 6, 1981 4. Place of birth: Long An – Viet Nam

5. Admission decision number: 1502/2012/QD-XHNV-SDH, Dated August 6, 2012,by Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University.

6. Changes in academic process:

7. Official thesis title: Competition US- Chinese influence in Central Asia from 2001 to 2012

8. Major: International Relations Code: 60.31.40

9. Supervisors: Associate Professor and Dr. Tran Nam Tien,Department of International Relations – University of Social Sciences and Humanity – Ho Chi Minh National University

10. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

Central Asia before 1991 was known as a part of the Soviet Union with a lower level of development compared with other republics in the Union, located in inland areas which do not have the area directing to the ocean. Water resources are extremely valuable in Central Asia, are the cause of a number of international disputes as well as often injured by external powerful countries.

The US and China have the important benefits of geo - political, security, economic in Central Asia. The stable situation of Central Asia is also extremely important for China in conducting strategic objectives for the Western sector, ensuring diversification of operating energy supplies. Besides, the US is considered to be a new external force which has a major influence on Central Asia. With the goal of maintaining number one super powerful country, Central Asia became the key for the US in deploying ambitions in the Asian - European continent. Relationship between the US and China in Central Asia is the relationship interwoven interests, both competitive and cooperative and formed the balance of forces in Central Asia. US with policy of the "Great Central Asia", China advocated "Go West" which led the competition on the "great chessboard" Central Asia more complex and difficult to predict.

In various forms, methods, different tools, the US and China have penetrated deeply into the political life, economy and security of the Central Asian states. In addition to actively promoting bilateral and multilateral relations between the Central Asian states, the two powers do not miss the opportunity to restrain mutually to increase the influence and gain the biggest benefits for themselves. In order to decrease the impact of China, the US has used multilateral measures, relying on NATO, OSCE ... to strengthen military presence in Central Asia, using the guise of democracy and human rights, impact on reforming model transformation of the Central Asian states to prevent China through the SCO conducted "jointly managed" Central Asia. America also made good use of the "guise" of strengthening bilateral relations with the Central Asian countries to drag them to stand at the front line with the US.

US - China Relation has gone through 40 years of ups and downs and is the most important bilateral relationship in the world today. In the world of globalization and international integration, the US - China relationship not only progresses in the framework of the two countries, but also influenced by the complex relationships in the bilateral and multilateral structures that both the US and China participate. Relations between the two largest countries is also a factor strongly influenced on political and economic order of the contemporary world, where every nation, ethnic group has the desire for peace, cooperation and friendship, equality, democracy and improvement. Cooperation between two sides the US and China in Central Asia will be difficult and complex. The underlying cause is the contradiction of traditional security and non-traditional security. The conflict resolution is determined by the change of conception, has been decided by mutual understanding between China and the US in strategic height.

11. Practical applicability:

12. Further research directions:

13. Thesis-related publications: