Shanghaied into Cooperation: Framing China’s Socialization of Central Asia

Abstract

This article offers a much-needed conceptual analysis of China’s emerging international agency in Central Asia. In particular it engages with the apparent susceptibility of Central Asian states to China’s normative power. The contention is that the emphasis on the dynamics of international socialization offers a relevant framework for evaluating Beijing’s capacity to engage regional states. By relying on its normative power, China has gradually attracted Central Asia into its sphere of influence through the promotion of various initiatives for regional cooperation consolidated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Such conceptualization of Beijing’s conditioning propensity reflects upon China’s international role(s) in the region.