China's Belt & Road
Covering the Belt & Road Initiative's impact on Central Asia through articles, book reviews, and reports.
China's Belt and Road Initiative aims to develop infrastructure in dozens of countries to support China's trade and foreign policy objectives. Central Asia sits at the geographic heart of this effort, and the Oxus Society provides ongoing analysis of how the BRI is reshaping the region's economy, politics, and security landscape.
Key Reports
In-depth research and analysis from this project
Chinese Academia Marches West: A Structural Topic Model of China’s Knowledge-Production in Central Asian Studies
This report analyzes Chinese academic research on Central Asia using topic modeling to reveal how Chinese scholars have framed knowledge about the region since China's 2013 strategic pivot westward. The analysis matters because scholarly discourse shapes policy priorities and strategic thinking, offering insight into how China conceptualizes Central Asia beyond official geopolitical narratives around the Belt and Road Initiative and counterterrorism efforts.
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Beyond Silence: Collaboration Between Arab States and China in the Transnational Repression of Uyghurs
China has systematically worked with Arab governments to detain and deport Uyghurs since 2001, with at least 292 cases documented across six countries including Egypt, Morocco, and the UAE, demonstrating Beijing's expanding transnational repression network and willingness to directly intervene in partner nations' law enforcement.
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“Your Family Will Suffer”: How China is Hacking, Surveilling, and Intimidating Uyghurs in Liberal Democracies
Chinese government campaigns of surveillance, hacking, and intimidation targeting Uyghurs across 22 countries since 2002 have created pervasive fear in diaspora communities, with 95.8% of surveyed Uyghurs reporting feeling threatened and 73.5% experiencing digital harassment. The report documents 5,530 instances of transnational repression and shows how Beijing extends authoritarian control beyond its borders despite living in liberal democracies.
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“Nets Cast from the Earth to the Sky:” China’s Hunt for Pakistan’s Uyghurs
China has systematically pursued Uyghurs living in Pakistan and Afghanistan since the late 1990s through detention, deportation, and transnational repression, leveraging economic incentives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to secure government cooperation in silencing dissent and violating international human rights norms.
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The Growth, Adaptation and Limitations of Chinese Private Security Companies in Central Asia
Chinese private security companies operating in Central Asia face significant growth opportunities but encounter regulatory obstacles and adaptation challenges as Beijing expands its Belt and Road Initiative investments across the region. This report examines how six Chinese PSCs navigate protecting Chinese workers and assets in increasingly unstable environments while operating within limited legal frameworks.
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Avoiding Dependence? Central Asian Security in a Multipolar World
As the U.S. reduces its security role in Central Asia, China is rapidly expanding its military presence and arms sales in the region while Russia's historical dominance declines. The analysis examines how Central Asian states navigate great power competition and whether they can maintain strategic autonomy amid shifting geopolitical pressures from Moscow, Beijing, and Washington.
Read reportChina in Central Asia
China's economic footprint in Central Asia has grown dramatically over the past decade. From major infrastructure projects in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to growing political influence, Beijing's presence in the region raises critical questions about sovereignty, debt sustainability, and the future of the Central Asian economies. Our coverage draws on local perspectives and rigorous analysis to provide a nuanced picture.