India's Central Asia After The Cold War Policy Research

The rise of great power first is rising in the regional level, then spreading itsinfluence to the neighborhood regions, and finally projecting its influence to the world.As India’s extended neighbor, Central Asia plays an important role in the conversionof India from Asian great power to global power. India’s Central Asia policy has threeprincipal objectives: safeguard the politics, security, and energy interests of India inCentral Asia. In fact, India’s Central Asia policy is an important part of India’snational strategy. It reflects the major changes of the trajectory of the Indian foreignpolicy. With the strengthening of economy and military power, India’s involvement inCentral Asia affairs has gone through a progress of indifference to eagerness. Byenhancing the cooperation between India and Central Asia countries, India hopes thatit not only dominates in the South Asian subcontinent, but also strongly affects theglobal affairs.Since the five Central Asian states got their independence in1991, the evolutionof India’s foreign policy toward Central Asia has three specific stages. In the firststage, it was from1991to1998, the objective of India’s policy towards this regionwas to establish diplomatic relationship with these five countries and makefoundations for further development. The second stage was from1999to2001, in thisstage, India tried to make the Central Asian countries as useful partners for Indiadeveloping its economy and struggling terrorism and racialism. Since2001up to dateis the third stage of India’s foreign policy towards Central Asia. From then, in order tostrength their bilateral political, economic and cultural relationships, India hasinvested more attention and resources to this region, so it’s influence in Central Asiagot more visible.India’s Central Asia policy faces three constrains: first, is the challenges fromIndia itself; second, from the activities of United States, Russia and China in CentralAsia; third, from the situation of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Though the developmentof relationship between India and Central Asia encounters some barriers; the trend ofIndia’s much more firmly involvement in Central Asian affairs deserves moreattention. With more diplomatic resources into Central Asia, India’s influence in theregion will increase.Due to lack the power to control agenda and shape norm, although the influence of India in Central Asia will increase, it extension will be limited. India will not be amajor player in Central Asia and global affairs. Although India does not have a clearstrategy on Central Asia, China and India have similar interests in regional security,energy, market. India’s Central Asia policy would affect the activities of China inCentral Asia, but will not be a threat.Actually, India and China have little conflict in Central Asia. India’s Central Asiahas very limited effect on China. In Central Asia, as long as China and India complywith the market rules, China has advantages in its dealing with India.