Central Asia's Geographical Value and China's Northwesten Geographical security

Central Asia's Geographical Value and China's Northwesten Geographical security

田永生

Among all the hot spots in the world , which essentially belong to specific eras, Central Asia is unique, which bas been "hot" since acient times.Its unique geographical value owes to its unique geographical position. It lies in the centre of Asia, far away from the ocean, mostly covered with desert, with only a few hordes living on oasises watered by melted snow and ice from high mountains, which makes it a fact that a great power never formed there. But one topographical character of Asia that it's high in the centre and low around makes most rivers start from the centre and flow outside. As a result, some large plains formed among middle and lower reaches of these rivers, on the periphery areas of Aisa. Due to fertile soil, enough water resources, well-developed agriculture, some great powers, such as Babylon, Assyria, Persia, acient India, China' Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty formed on these plains.. Thus, Central Asea were surrounded by these great powers. As can be seen, Central Asia has been a "broken area" since acient times, and its territory extended and backed off with the changes of the strength of these great powers. Till modern times, Central Asia was first on the edge of the contest between Tsarism Russia and Great Britain. Then, it was under the dominion of Russia But its geographical value was still uppermost in the mind of the British scholor Mackinder. With the breakdown of Soviet Union, this area became "vacuum" of power for a time. It was under the contest of great powers once again, and furthermore, another weight---abundant oil and gas was added to its geographical value. Now, the US views Central Asia as the key to sustain its supremacy; Russia thinks Central Asia as its traditonal "back yard"; Iran and Afghanistan want to sell its pan-Islamism to Central Asia; Turkey want to realize its sweat dream of Pan-Turkism. China is the near neighbour of Central Asia ,faced with the great task of developing the West and realizing modernization ,and natrurally threatened by National Splittism, Religious Ultraism and Terrorism fron Central Asia. Furthermore, with the contest between the US and Russia, the military bases they laid in Central Asia, are just near the gate of China. Confronted with all these threats, how to insure our western geographical security is a flinty question represented to the government of China and Chinese people. Based on the basic theories of political and martial geography , this paper starts from Central Asia' geographical value , analyses the effects of Central Asia' geoplitical situation on China' western geographical security , and further more, raises strategical choices we should take.