Debt-Trap Diplomacy of China towards the Turkestan Republics

Çin’in Türkistan Cumhuriyetlerine Yönelik Borç-Tuzak Diplomasisi
Yılmaz S. Dosbolov A.
Fall 2025 Ahmet Yesevi University

Bilig
2025 #2025-Fall Issue 115 57 - 84 pp.

Following their independence in 1991, the Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan developed active relations with major global and regional actors, including the United States, Russia, Europe, Türkiye, and China. Among these, China emerged as a particularly influential partner by deepening its economic and diplomatic engagement. Kazakhstan, the largest and wealthiest of the three, holds special strategic importance due to its abundant natural resources and its geographic position as a gateway to the West. Consequently, this study first examines the dynamics of the Chinese-Kazakh relationship, focusing on China’s use of debt-trap diplomacy within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The analysis adopts dependency theory to explain the nexus between debt reliance and economic growth, supported by data on bilateral trade volumes and BRI-related projects. The paper also highlights the rise of Sinophobia in Kazakhstan, reflecting growing mistrust toward Chinese influence. Before concluding, the study compares China’s debt and trade relations across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, assessing the broader scope of debt-trap diplomacy in the region. Using a descriptive case study and documentary analysis, the paper argues that China employs debt-trap diplomacy both to expand markets for its goods and to advance strategic goals by fostering one-sided economic dependence in Turkestan republics.

BRI Project , China , Debt-Trap Diplomacy , Sinophobia , Turkestan Republics

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Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Muğla, Turkey
Ahmet Yesevi University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of International Relations, Turkestan, Kazakhstan

Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University
Ahmet Yesevi University

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