中亞

2022年對中亞五國來說都不太好過。他們過去都是前蘇聯加盟國,所以仍持續和俄羅斯保持密切的經濟和國防關係。也因此當2022年俄烏戰爭爆發,中亞五國可說是海景第一排,經濟隨即受到影響。中亞國家依賴蘇聯時期往北通過俄羅斯的運輸路線,現在擔心西方對俄羅斯的制裁可能影響到貨運,如何加速開闢往南的貿易路線,成為中亞各國的重要課題。
中亞五國另外一個面臨的困境是恐怖組織。IS在中東遭到各國聯軍圍剿後,部分殘存勢力來到同樣信奉伊斯蘭教的中亞地區。他們用影像技術製作招募影片,並善用社群媒體大量傳播,造成民眾恐慌。另外2021年塔利班佔領阿富汗也對中亞五國帶來衝擊。現在這五個國家和塔利班政權維持著「不承認,但合作」的關係,盡可能不讓這位阿富汗鄰居的動盪影響到自己。
2023年的中亞,預計還會是個「中俄爭搶、美國觀望」的局勢。
Our impression of Central Asia remains that of nomadic Mongolians and Turks. This is because the expanse of Central Asia is wide and vast, ranging from the Tian Shan Mountains to the Taklamakan Desert. It is extremely dry and far away from the ocean, leading to the many nomad settlements. Being characteristically "dry with a lack of water" has also played an important role in the relationship between the five countries in Central Asia, often triggering conflicts between countries fighting for water resources.
There are only five countries in Central Asia, and they share many commonalities: they are all former Soviet republics, their country names all end in "-stan," and they are all Islamic countries. The ancient silk road is an important asset of China's Belt and Road project in the 21st century. In the past, the five Central Asian countries have been internationally low-profile, but with the China-U.S. confrontation escalating, they have become the center of attention for China, the U.S., and Russia.