Between the bear and the dragon

Multivectorism in Kazakhstan as a model strategy for secondary powers

Bibliographic Data

ID3729005
AuthorsRachel Vanderhill (0000-0003-2255-0188), Sandra F Joireman (0000-0002-8342-1980), Roza Tulepbayeva
Year2020
Volume96
Issue4
Pages975-993
Publication date2020-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-5850 • E-ISSN: 1468-2346
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/ia/iiaa061
OpenAlexW3034432919
LanguageEN
Citations received48

Kazakhstan has followed a foreign policy of multivector diplomacy since its independence from the former Soviet Union. While multivectorism was a strategy of necessity in its early years, it has evolved to empower Kazakhstan to effectively protect its independence and negotiate its relationship with the great powers on its borders and further afield. After the 2014 Russian seizure of Crimea it is noteworthy that Kazakhstan has maintained positive relations with Russia while asserting its sovereignty and independent foreign policy. In this article we investigate how Kazakhstan has negotiated the rise of China, taking advantage of the economic opportunities it presents. We trace the foreign policy of Kazakhstan from independence forward, examining its relationships with its Great Power neighbours and its role in international organizations and negotiations. We posit that multivectorism is similar to the strategy of omni-enmeshment and complex balancing seen in south-east Asia. Both are effective methods for secondary powers to protect their sovereignty and to coexist with Great Powers without becoming their client states. Kazakhstan's approach to foreign policy is an exemplar for secondary states. This article contributes to the literature on the strategic decision-making of secondary powers and to the theoretical analysis of the foreign policy of Kazakhstan during a critical moment of transition from the long-time rule of Nursultan Nazarbayev to the presidency of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

China · Diplomacy · Economic system · Economics · Economy · Foreign policy · Independence (probability theory) · Negotiation · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics) · Presidency · Sovereignty · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics