Op-Ed Contributors

Kyrgyz unrest impacts nation

By Yu Sui (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-24 07:39

They also underlined that differences should be settled through dialogue and consultations by political and diplomatic means.

Kyrgyzstan's interim government asked Russia and the United States to provide military support, both of whom declined politely. In fact, Moscow and Washington are jointly monitoring the crisis.

Central Asian countries were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Even now, Russia is still their primary ally.

Central Asia is an important component of Moscow's security strategy, squeezed as it is by the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US-Japan alliance.

Besides being part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russia and some Central Asian countries also maintain special ties through the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the SCO.

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the global anti-terror campaign that Washington launched has enabled it to quickly infiltrate into Central Asia, where its influence has been weak historically.

By establishing bases and expanding its military network, the US has improved its geopolitical position in this region.

China though has taken a unique approach to the region.

The nation has stuck to the principles of equality and mutual respect, and has developed all-round relations with Central Asian nations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

As developing countries witnessing large-scale transformation, these Central Asian states are keenly interested in China's development model.

Even though both Russia and the US have a military presence in Central Asia, China has said it won't follow suit.

The China-Russia strategic partnership and China-US commitment to building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship should not only steer bilateral relations, but also play a vital role in dealing with multilateral issues.

The Associated Press on June 18 reported that Beijing "finds itself shut out of the primarily political and military solutions being offered by Russia and the US" with regard to the unrest in Kyrgystan.

This clearly shows that China is not involved in the great "game" among key powers in Central Asia.

The author is a researcher with the Research Center of Contemporary World.

(China Daily 06/24/2010 page8)