Security in Central Asia after the Changed Political Situation in Afghanistan: Great Game and Regional Cooperation 阿富汗变局后的中亚安全：大国博弈与地区合作

Afghanistan has very close historical and cultural ties with Central Asia, and the Afghan issue also poses a direct threat to the security of Central Asia. With the hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops and the Taliban regaining power in 2021, the particularity of Central Asia’s strategic position has triggered a new round of geopolitical competition among great powers for regional security and economic dominance, and peace and stability in Central Asia are facing new challenges. This paper finds that the security problems in Central Asia after the change of Afghanistan are both localized and internationalized. The regional countries’ power over internal affairs has increased, and foreign policy choices have become more active and diversified, which has laid the foundation for further expanding regional identity. In order to achieve effective regional security governance and promote cooperation among regional countries, we should give full play to the special role of the SCO in regional integration and establish a new political and economic order in Central Asia, covering multi-polarity, multi-level, and multi-direction. With the goal of building a community with a shared future of regional countries, the integration and development of the SCO and the “Belt and Road” initiative in Central Asia will finally complete this strategic historical task.