The Strategic Importance of Central Asia

An American View

Bibliographic Data

ID20139134
AuthorsStephen Blank (corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume38
Issue1
Publication date2008-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe US Army War College Quarterly Parameters (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0031-1723 • E-ISSN: 0031-1723
PublisherUnited States Army War College Press (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.55540/0031-1723.2400
OpenAlexW285186337
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited4

U ndoubtedly Central Asia's strategic importance in international affairs is growing. The rivalries among Russia, China, United States, Iran, India, and Pakistan not to mention the ever-changing pattern of relations among local states (five former Soviet republics and Afghanistan) make the region's importance obviously clear. Central Asia's strategic importance for Washington, Moscow, and Beijing varies with each nation's perception of its strategic interests. Washington focuses primarily on Central Asia as an important theater in the war on terrorism. Additionally, it is viewed as a theater where America might counter a revived Russia or China, or a place to blunt any extension of Iranian influence. Moscow and Beijing view the region as a vital locale for defending critical domestic interests. This asymmetry of interest is a major factor in the competition among states for influence in the region

Business · Central asia · International trade · Political economy · Political science · Sociology · Political Conflict and Governance · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Russia and Soviet political economy

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