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Sustainability Governance: Legal, Economic, and Institutional Mechanisms"

No. 2 Thematic Issue (2025): Thematic Issue Sustainability Governance: Legal, Economic, and Institutional Mechanisms, Guest Editors: Karlis Ketners, Vitalii Kotsur

Economic Cooperation and Sustainable Development: Kazakhstan and China’s Confidence-Building Measures

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/riss2025oa21041
Submitted
19 settembre 2025
Published
30-12-2025

Abstract

This study aimed to analyse institutional and diplomatic approaches to confidence-building measures in Kazakhstan and China, with a particular emphasis on assessing their impact on regional security and the sustainability of bilateral relations. The research employed methods such as comparative analysis of foreign policy strategies, content analysis of official documents, and an examination of integration processes within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA). The role of China as a leading economic and geopolitical player in Central Asia was analysed, focusing on its strategy of infrastructure project diplomacy and the use of economic influence mechanisms within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Key challenges identified in the study include border demarcation, water management, Kazakhstan's growing economic dependence on Chinese investment, and the necessity to balance economic benefits with the preservation of strategic autonomy. The study underscores the importance of sustainable development in fostering long-term regional stability and cooperation.

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