| Volume 6, Number 2, April 2009 |
An Examination of Central Asia
Central Asia’s Peaceful Development is in
China’s Interest
by 冯玉军 Feng Yujun |
Europe and Central Asia
A View from the Region
by Nargis Kassenova 纳尔基·卡谢诺娃 |
CENTRAL Asia, that belt of land situated in the heartland of the Eurasian continent, has been closely intertwined with China since antiquity. The ‘Silk Road’ which spans Central Asia has allowed communication between Eastern and Western civilisations. The migration of its ancient people and the communication this allowed encouraged the assimilation of the Chinese peoples. Poems like ‘The ancient moon of Loulan’ and ‘The lonely smoke of the desert’ have become important elements in Chinese culture. Moreover, the great distance of the road between the Western territories and the Central Pass, and the difficulty of communication along this route engendered vivid emotions in travellers to the West. That is the feeling of insurmountable distance as expressed in Wang Wei’s poem: ‘You are leaving for the West; there will be no friends at Yangguan’. On top of this the great trend of globalisation has bound China and Central Asia more closely together...
[ Read more ] |
THE German Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2007 inspired great hopes regarding the development of relations between the European Union and the states of Central Asia. In Brussels and other European capitals, it was expected that Germany, as an EU political and economic heavyweight and one of the key promoters of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, would be able to foster a coordinated Central Asian policy giving direction and coherence to European engagement in the region. It was widely hoped—within both the governments of Central Asia and the societies of the region—that Germany, which has traditionally been the most pro-active European country in the region, would elevate the relations between the EU and Central Asian states to a higher level.(1)
At the end of the German Presidency, in June 2007, the EU adopted “The EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership”.(2) It was the first ever EU strategy developed for Central Asia...
[ Read more ] |
|
|
| Issue 6.2 |
|
Economy, Employment, Education, Ethics
|
|
|
