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Copyright of SINERGI: Journal of Strategic Studies & International Affairs is the property of SINERGI: Journal of Strategic Studies & International Affairs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigates the portrayal of China in Kazakhstani media, focusing on changes in perceptions before and during the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Through comparative discourse analysis, the research reveals a shift in media narratives from primarily economic and political aspects to a growing emphasis on fostering friendly relations between Kazakhstan and China. The paper also explores how diplomatic relations between the two countries influence media reports about China. Although the findings are specific to Kazakhstan, the study contributes to understanding Central Asian views on China, especially in the context of the BRI and the region's changing geopolitical dynamics. The research suggests a trend toward more positive and neutral coverage of China in Kazakhstani news outlets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Strategic & Social Research is the property of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Social Science Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Central Asia, archaeology has become a renewed focus of attention in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The infrastructure projects associated with the BRI could have a marked impact on the preservation of archaeological heritage, local understanding and use of cultural heritage. With reference to a case study centred on Kazakhstan, the paper examines the complications posed by the BRI in achieving the balance between economic development and tangible heritage preservation. While analysing weaknesses of the current legal cultural framework, it suggests that the archaeological custodianship, both local and international, should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grappling with the contemporary topos of a Sino-Russian Entente, Kazakhstan is caught between a delicate long-term peer-competition and potentially a structural rivalry involving the two Eurasian Leviathans, China and Russia. Acknowledging this perspective, Nur-Sultan is inducing hedging dynamics, fishing for a better range of net benefits, while playing a significant fulcrum role central to the regional geopolitical and geo-economic matrix. Although Russia is retaining the prevailing role in the security domain, China is catching up with Russia in various economic indices, notably generated by the Belt and Road Initiative. Utilizing the conceptualization of hierarchy in international relations adapted from the work of David A. Lake, this paper outlines how Nur-Sultan's interests and preferences are acknowledged by the respective dominants, as a basis for social contracting processes to generate a dual hierarchical order in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Development Research is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Kazakhstan has an important position as the EU's main trading partner in Central Asia and the EU has been its largest trade partner as well as the largest source of foreign direct investment. The importance of China as trade and investment partner is rising, on the contrary, the EU's share is declining. Even though there remains plenty of scope for further growth, mutual relations and cooperation are influenced by increased geopolitical tensions and geo-economic changes in the wider region. The paper evaluates the position of the EU and its strategic interests in Kazakhstan in the context of geopolitical and geo-economic changes in the region based on the assessment of the trade and investment position of the EU in comparison with the position of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines Kazakhstan's relations with Southeast Asia, an area of study which has been given little attention so far. It firstly analyzes Kazakhstan's multivector foreign policy, arguing that Kazakhstan has been trying to pursue an omnidirectional hedging strategy by diversifying its partners to enhance its strategic space. Secondly, it looks at how Southeast Asia is seen as part of this strategy, particularly as alternative economic partners for Kazakhstan. It argues that there are greater opportunities for enhanced economic interaction due to Kazakhstan's central role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), membership of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) that is shifting toward Asia, and reinvigorated economic diplomacy. Thirdly, it examines Kazakhstan's relations with five key Southeast Asian states – Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand – which are Kazakhstan's largest trading partners in the region and arguably viewed as the Southeast Asian countries with the most potential to play a role in Kazakhstan's omnidirectional hedging strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and infrastructural development has led to growing concerns regarding the future of Central Asia's water resources. However, few attempts have been made to assess the impacts this will have on specific transboundary basins within the region. This article explores how the context of the BRI transcends its physical impacts within the Ili and Irtysh basins, creating a sanctioned discourse that forecloses the possibility of 'successful' negotiations at an official level. As such, pathways to transboundary water management that exist beyond the negotiations are shown to have greater plausibility and potential effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing importance of better transport connectivity has indicated the need to develop high-speed road load monitoring technologies. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Silk Road transportation programs considerable have developed the roads and highways networks in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian (CA) countries. Transportation services require proper maintenance and prompt track load monitoring. There is no holistic freight traffic management system that controls and monitors traffic flow in CA. A Weigh in Motion (WIM) technology can be used as an effective traffic management control system in the CA region. The WIM technology is designed to control axle and gross vehicle weight in motion. It has a wide range of applications, including pavement and bridge weight control, traffic legislation and state regulations. The WIM technology has advantages over conventional static weighing as it does not interrupt traffic flow by creating queues at monitoring stations. The WIM technology can be used not only as a weight control tool but also performs a comprehensive analysis of other traffic flow parameters. In cooperation with Korean UDNS experts with support from KAIA, we test the application of WIM in Nur-Sultan city, North of Kazakhstan, with Siberian-type cold weather. These works create much challenges and innovative approach to test sensors in the harsh environment, from the extreme cold to hot temperatures, with intensive dust distortions. Our Talapker WIM pilot test site was installed in September 2020, and it performs Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Axle of Weight (AOW) analyses. The Talapker WIM High Speed (HS) sensors are capable of detecting different driving patterns, including everyday driving, acceleration or deceleration more than 10km/h/s and eccentric driving (partial contact with the platform to avoid excessive weighting). The pilot Talapker HS WIM site has demonstrated a positive effect on implementing WIM technology in Kazakhstan. Every 10th car passing through the WIM site registered as an overloaded vehicle by gross weighting, and every 5th car is considered overloaded by axle weighting. GIS-based location allocation analysis (LAA) performed in the given study provided an understanding of a practical implementation of WIM sensors. Taking into consideration different geographical data, the WIM site map was developed to reveal 43 suitable locations. Further improvements for the CA road network and their WIM demand points will be the focus of future research investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

he article discusses China’s geo-economic presence in the Central Asian region and analyzes the history and causes of this phenomenon in the form of a detailed discussion of the interaction between China and the Central Asian countries in the energy and transportation spheres. It notes the special role of Kazakhstan in the realization of Belt and Road Initiative and pays particular attention to certain aspects of China’s crediting and investment policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-based Trans-Eurasian transport corridors, their current development and perspectives have been high on the political agenda in the last two decades not only in Europe and China but also in the transit countries such as russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. A number of conceptual initiatives are already being implemented. The Belt and road or the one Belt, one road (oBor) initiative on the Chinese side and the rail Baltica project from the European perspective have gained special attention. Big-scale infrastructural projects are also being implemented by transit countries, e.g., the construction of a motorway from China to Europe--from Kazakhstan via russia to Belarus--to facilitate the land-based shortcut for cargo transport within the Eurasian transport corridor. This article investigates the general framework conditions of infrastructural investments into projects related to Eurasian logistics and discusses strategic areas of intersection between the European activities and the New Silk Way. In the framework of the OBOR initiative, this article also addresses the interaction of the Chinese-Kazakh-Russian-Belarusian-Polish railway transport, with a special focus on Belarusian-Polish crossborder issues. The authors have participated in several projects focusing on transport corridors and discuss the research question of how different Eurasian land-based transport corridors can be integrated and which strategic role can the Rail Baltica project play in the context of the New Silk Route. The research is based on surveys, expert interviews, secondary data research and case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study examines the attitudes of tourism, civic and business stakeholders in Kazakhstan to China's proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It aims to determine the applicability of Social Exchange Theory (SET) in measuring local attitudes towards the likely impacts of the multi-sectoral, transboundary mega projects of the BRI on tourism development in the destination. In addressing this gap in research on attitudes to tourism development in this wider regional context, the study confirms the utility of SET as an explanatory framework in benchmarking stakeholders' attitudes towards the implications of the BRI for tourism development. The findings suggest that while there is a strong support for the economic value of China's BRI for the sector, there are some concerns that it may undermine local autonomy and Kazakhstan's distinctive brand as a tourist destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was announced in 2013, China's expanding economic, geopolitical, and business presence demonstrates its eagerness to play a more significant role in the systems of international governance and law. The BRI's scale and influence have captured immense attention among politicians, policymakers, experts, and academics. They offer numerous interpretations of the BRI's global and regional impact. If China claims to be a stakeholder in the international system, what are the implications for the legal systems of the BRI countries and their governance systems? To what extent does the BRI lead to the expansion of China's institutions and legal norms? How can the BRI countries ensure that their interests in BRI projects are adequately protected? This article analyses the Central Asian perspective on the BRI. Central Asia and Kazakhstan, in particular, have strategic relevance to the BRI. Remarkably, the BRI was launched during the visit of President Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan, which means that Kazakhstan plays a critical transit role as China's pivot to Europe. Although the BRI is an ambitious global strategy, it has provoked much criticism, especially in liberal countries. Despite China's efforts to promote the BRI as a win–win endeavour, China's increased economic and political influence has already led to heightened scrutiny of its role in shaping ideology, economic development, and the legal and institutional landscapes. While many academic publications address different perspectives of the BRI, the context behind BRI projects requires further attention. This article contributes to the literature by studying BRI projects in Kazakhstan and their legal framework and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines different stages of the development of China–Kazakhstan cooperation and identifies major factors that have facilitated the advancement of close links between them. It explains China's role in Kazakhstan's multi-vectored foreign policy and demonstrates major milestones in the expansion of bilateral political and economic ties. It also addresses the current developments of China–Kazakhstan cooperation, particularly as related to the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) initiative. In conclusion, the article argues that the China–Kazakhstan cooperation may promote the implementation of the SREB initiative, while also contributing to the consolidation of authoritarian regimes in the wider region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is a key partner in China's Belt, and Road Initiative (BRI), since it comprises the majority of territories which the BRI's overland route, the Silk Road Economic Belt, needs to traverse as it crosses Central Asia on the way to Europe. The goal of this article is to explore the BRI in the context of BRI–EAEU coordination. The first part of the analysis focusses on the ways the Eurasian Economic Commission delineates the "Greater Eurasian Partnership" and counterposes it against China and the BRI. Then, the article compares two sets of interpretations of the BRI and "Greater Eurasian Partnership" obtained from interviews with elites in Kazakhstan and Russia. The interviews indicate that the BRI has had a much more forceful impact on local elites than Russia's idea of "Greater Eurasian Partnership." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines Kazakhstan's relations with ASEAN. Kazakhstan has often tried to engage with ASEAN and to become part of its dialogue mechanisms, but the lack of significant trade relations, vast geographical distance and logistical hurdles, and low mutual awareness have proven obstacles to more substantive relations. However, China's increasing influence in Kazakhstan and its Belt and Road Initiative, in which Kazakhstan plays a central role, has opened up possibilities for greater engagement and cooperation as well as ASEAN's increased interest in Kazakhstan. For Kazakhstan, ASEAN's success in regional cooperation could also be a useful model for the growing interest in regional cooperation in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Kazakhstan is the most economically developed country in Central Asia which has a large content of strategically important natural resources, and it is an important hub of their transport. The country is located on the New Silk Road, and it connects the interests of many Asian and European trading partners. For Slovak exporters, Kazakhstan can provide great prospects for the realization of its goods and services, and the creation of joint investment projects can bring significant economic benefits to both countries. The aim of the article is to research the tendency of development and actual situation of mutual trade between Slovakia and Kazakhstan, and the position of given economic partners in their foreign trade. The research conducted on the basis of the latest available statistical data has identified possible prospective ways to intensify trade relations between countries for their mutual prosperity and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of dryland vegetation growth over the Silk Road Economic Belt is under threat of water shortage, and the determination of water carrying capacity for vegetation is critically essential to balance water supply and water demand for the maintenance of existing ecosystems. To better understand how and why vegetation growth varies in different desert areas, this study first analyzed the spatiotemporal variation of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Then, we investigated the relationship between NDVI and climatic factors (precipitation, soil water content, air temperature, evapotranspiration), and estimated the threshold NDVI under water balance in different desert areas. Results showed that the higher NDVI was mainly distributed in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Azerbaijan, and it increased in approximately 53% of desert areas from 1982 to 2015 in the whole study region. The mean annual NDVI showed a simultaneous increasing trend in all desert areas from 1982 to 1994, and decreased significantly only in the cold arid desert area (p < 0.01, −0.0067 decade−1) or had no significant change in other desert areas after 1994 (p > 0.01). The climate condition generally appeared as a warming and drying trend in the past 34 years, with varied changing rates in different desert areas. NDVI presented a strong positive relationship with both precipitation and evapotranspiration in most desert areas. The threshold values of the mean annual NDVI under water balance between 1982 and 2015 were approximately 0.1041 (hot arid desert), 0.1337 (cold arid desert), 0.1346 (cold arid semi-desert), 0.0951 (hot arid desert semi-desert), 0.0776 (polar desert tundra), 0.1071 (hot arid desert shrub), 0.1377 (cold arid desert steppe), and 0.0701 (polar desert steppe), respectively. The responses of these threshold values to precipitation were all positive in different desert areas. These results provide an enhanced understanding of vegetation dynamics and ecological conservation, which are of great importance to implementing adaptation and mitigation measures for terrestrial ecosystems over the Silk Road Economic Belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]