BRI in Central Asia: People-to-People Projects

Farkhod Aminjonov, Alina Abylkasymova, Anna Aimée, Bahtiyor Eshchanov, Daniyar Moldokanov, Indra Overland, Roman Vakulchuk 

Abstract

Along with financing hard infrastructure projects, Beijing also promotes soft power projects in the form of peopleto-people initiatives. However, such projects are low priority within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Central Asia. The Confucius Institutes, which appear to be an important vehicle for Chinese soft power in the region, are not directly linked to BRI and was launched before and independently of BRI.

Keywords: BRI,  China,  people-to-people  exchange,  soft  power,  Confucius  Institute,  Central  Asia,  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Publisher

OSCE Academy / NUPI

Series

Central Asia Data-Gathering and Analysis Team (CADGAT)

Download PDF

BRI in Central Asia: People-to-People Projects.pdf

Print version