Kazakhstan Energy Diplomacy

Energy is very important to the world economy. After Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Kazakhstan got its independence from USSR. Thanks to the abundance in oil and natural gas, together with the sharply rising oil prices in recent years, especially in 2008, Kazakhstan has been playing a more important role in today's world.Energy diplomacy is a way that uses energy as an approach to promote economic development, to enhance national status in world politics and to balance relations with such powers as USA, Russia and China.In this disquisition, the author will make analysis on Kazakhstan energy diplomacy. Rich natural resources and Central-Asia's geopolitics are the bases of Kazakhstan energy diplomacy. Protecting national interests and balancing the relations with world powers are its principles. Expanding energy overseas market is Kazakhstan energy diplomacy's aim. Government control is its characteristic. Lacking of investment capital and the simple domestic economic structure is Kazakhstan energy diplomacy's restriction. On the basis of these analyses, the author would like to provide some suggestions for Sino-Kazakhstan energy cooperation: investing more in Kazakhstan and accelerating the oil pipe building between China and Kazakhstan. Anyway, to know Kazakhstan energy diplomacy well will be helpful to know the overall diplomatic strategies of Kazakhstan, and be helpful to promote Sino-Kazakhstan relationship.