Backlash: China's Struggle for Influence in Central Asia [Paperback]

How have Central Asians responded to China's growing role in their countries? Can Beijing maintain its dominant position in an increasingly hostile region?Central Asia is at the forefront of China's efforts to assert itself as a major world power. Since 1991, Beijing has emerged as the region's main investor, creditor and trade partner, as well as an increasingly important security provider. But its growing influence has met opposition: in recent years, anti-China protests have erupted across Central Asia, threatening Beijing's shaky regional hegemony.Bradley Jardine and Edward Lemon examine how Central Asians are pushing back against China's global ambitions, and trace Beijing's attempts to manage its image and secure its interests in response. Drawing on over a decade of fieldwork, Backlash reveals the uncertainties of China's rise. Far from being the omnipotent strategist often depicted in international media, Beijing is making significant missteps, alienating local people and becoming entangled in costly interventions to protect its citizens and investments. Russia's fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 undermined Moscow's regional position, creating opportunities for China to expand its role. But to do so, it must contend with the agency of Central Asians themselves: their interests, policies and priorities.This incisive book exposes the unravelling of China's alternative to the American-led global order, highlighting both elite and grassroots actors forcing Beijing to adapt its approach.List of AbbreviationsPart One: Rise1. Introduction: China?s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia2. China?s Eurasian Frontier3. China?s Strategic Interests in Central Asia4. Central Asia in an Era of Great-Power CompetitionPart Two: Backlash5. Patterns of Anti-China Backlash6. Nationalism, Land, and Threats to Sovereignty7. Resisting China?s Corrosive Investments8. Xinjiang and Regional Protest MovementsPart Three: Adaptation9. Securing the Silk Road10. China?s Image ManagemelóŠ