THE STRATEGIES OF RUSSIA, THE USA AND CHINA ON SECURITY PROVISION IN CENTRAL ASIA: IS COMPATIBILITY POSSIBLE?

Today Central Asian region takes a key position in the system of international relations. Leading regional and non-regional participants express an active interest in states of this region. The following factors contribute to this trend.

 1/ Central Asia – is the concentration of natural resources (oil – 27 bln. tn, gas);  2/It is the territory where European and Asian transport routes cross. This opens new investment and integration opportunities for the states of the region;  3/The third factor is the involvement in the processes that are connected with Afghanistan.

 The groups of risks that undermine the stability and security in Central Asia can be highlighted.  Non-traditional threat (extremism, terrorism, radical Islam values, drug dissemination).  Traditional military treats, connected with potential conflicts, territorial disagreements.  Risks, connected with political changes in countries.

 The split of the USSR contributes to the increase of such treats as terrorism, separatism and others. New-formed states couldn’t overcome them by themselves. Thus SOC appearance can be regarded as a natural response to existing problems, undermining their security.  According to the Declaration dated from the 15 th 2001, SOC isn’t the military organization. The purpose of the SOC is to unite the efforts of regional states in order to increase the effectiveness of fight against treats to security.

 It is important to highlight that relation among Russian and China as main actors of the organization defines the vector of its development.  The interests of the states are concentrated on the security provision, transport routes creation. The interaction of the states in the sphere of security is one of the leading directions within the organization; however the purposes and the resources that the sides use are different.

 The main purpose of the Chinese foreign policy is to create peaceful and stable conditions for internal development of the country, however China is aware of that fact that if it want to achieve this purpose it would be impossible to avoid confrontation with the USA that regard Asia as its sphere of influence.  From this point of view, SOC and cooperation with Russia are perceived as an effective instrument against the USA domination.  Moreover, for China security provision is an indispensable condition for economic aims realization. Regarding central asian region as a key factor of its security, China expresses the readiness to take part in political stabilization achievement in Afghanistan (after the USA troops withdrawal).

Main facts  SOC- is the instrument of interaction between Russian and China and attempt to suppress the USA domination;  There is different perception of SOC between Russia and China: for China – SOC is an opportunity to spread its economic influence and an access to additional market; for Russia – SOC is an tool of security provision, instrument of influence and control of China.