Ethnic And Religious Issues In Central Asia And The Silk Road Economic Belt

The Silk Road Economic Belt of China,which was proposed in September 2013,provided a chance for both China and Central Asia.But in the same time,the complex ethnic and religious issues and fragile security situation brought challenges for the belt construction.The proposal indicated that the cooperation priorities for countries along the belt are "policy coordination,facilities connectivity,unimpeded trade,financial integration and people-to-people bonds"."Amity between people holds the key to sound relations between states." Therefore people-to-people bonds provide the public support for implementing the Initiative,it can strengthen harmonious culture exchanges and interaction,deepen national identity,and promote common development and prosperity by sharing opportunities.With its unique geography position,Central Asia has become the gathering area of different civilizations and numerous nations.There are more than 130 nations living in Central Asia.From a general view,these nations are peacefully coexisting,but under the fluctuating international situation,the complex national constituent and correlation are easy to cause ethnic and religious issues.Which makes Central Asia the most unstable area in the world.In the meanwhile,on the common borderline of 3300 kilometers between China and Central Asia,many cross-border ethnic groups live here.So the political security and the national relation in Central Asia are closely related with the situation of northwest China,and also effect the belt construction.This essay focuses on the ethnic and religious issues in Central Asia,and is based on the Marxist Ethnic Theory and Constructivism.In the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt,the essay uses case analysis and qualitative analysis methods,combining science of international relations,geopolitics and ethnology.This essay has five chapters,consisting of introduction,text and conclusion.Chapter one introduces purpose and significance of the thesis,status quo of domestic and foreign research,main contents and research methods,as well as the innovation and limitation.In the text,basic concepts and core theory are defined in the first place,including the concepts of nation and ethnic issues,religion and religious issues,content of the Silk Road Economic Belt,and link between ethnic religious issues and regional international relations--on the basis of Constructivism.The second part presents the status quo of Central Asian nations and religions.The main ethnic and religious in Central Asia is the current multiple contradiction in the field of national relations.Specifically,it includes contradiction between main ethnic and ethnic minorities within countries,problems of Cross-border ethnic groups,territorial disputes and resource conflicts,religious conflict and religious extremism,terrorism and national separatism.In the next part,basic goal and fundamental guarantee of the Belt are discussed,then this research puts emphasis on discussing influence of ethnic and religious issues in Central Asia on the Belt.The last chapter proposes suggestions by analyzing the characteristics of ethnic religious issues,such as strengthening research on ethnic and religious situation,taking advantage of regional cooperation mechanisms,building regional cooperative consensus,strengthen economic and trade cooperation,enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Central Asian nations.So as to alleviate the current disparities in Central Asia and guarantee the building of this great undertaking.