How we can counter the influence of Russia and China in Central Asia

For most of the 19th and early part of the 20th century, the British and Russian Empires engaged in elaborate political, economic, and diplomatic confrontations to control portions of Central Asia. Coined by British spy Arthur Conolly in 1840, the Great Game defined a power rivalry in Central Asia that represented the worst tendencies of colonialism, including enforcing artificial national boundaries, dividing people and cultures, and causing countless civil wars and general upheavals that endure today. Case in point, the Soviet Union left its detestable legacy throughout Central Asia that robbed countries such as Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and others of their unique culture, national identity, environment, and personal and economic freedoms.

Even with the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian regime, along with China’s economic efforts, continue to shape and influence most of Central Asia to the detriment of American interests. Several regional actors are adopting un-democratic and repressive policies that cost the lives and economic empowerment of their people. By all accounts, a new Great Game in Central Asia has been created increasing repression, debt traps, and shoddy investments.

Central Asia is ground-zero for the advancement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), an international organization that was formed in 2001 to primarily project Russian and Chinese diplomatic and economic influence. The SCO has played a critical role in deploying economic and security coercion policies that have established puppet regimes throughout Central Asia. 

For example, the global image of Kazakhstan has been tarnished, despite its insistence that it’s an attractive place to invest because of its abundant natural resources and proximity to Chinese and Russian markets. U.S. investors, such as Argentem Creek, AES Corporation, AIG, among many others, have encountered serious problems in asserting their rights in Kazakhstan despite the authorities’ stated interest in attracting foreign direct investment. Unless Kazakhstan quickly remedies its treatment of U.S. companies, investors, and the U.S. judicial system, Congress will pressure the Biden administration to enact consequences, such as revoking their membership in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program and ensuring the U.S. never grants it Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.

Yet not all Central Asian countries have embraced the regressive tendencies of the New Great Game. Uzbekistan has made encouraging market and investment reforms that have positioned themselves as a beacon of trade and investment stability in Central Asia. As the nexus of the ancient Silk Road, Uzbekistan has the capability of being a strong trade partner as they are in the process of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).

While in Congress, I have travelled the world and witnessed the rising influence of authoritarian governments and seen the need for more U.S. influence in key regions. Illiberal economic coercion policies in are spreading like a cancer over the developing world while the Biden administration sits idle and organizes woke economic talk shops. 

The Biden administration must start prioritizing robust and meaningful trade and investment actions where authoritarian leadership reigns supreme. We need to embrace countries that respect the rule of law and are hungry for U.S. trade and investment. I joined Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) in introducing H.R. 1755, the Uzbekistan Normalized Trade Act, which emphasizes the importance of furthering trade with the strategically located Uzbekistan, which has taken great strides to embrace American values and ideals. Furthermore, it is my hope that the Biden administration presented a comprehensive Central Asia strategy at the recent U.S.-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) discussions in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Finally, it’s imperative for Congress to pressure the Biden administration to unleash the full power of key U.S. agencies such as The Export-Import Bank (EXIM) and the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to propel U.S. trade and investment in this critical region.

Congress needs to act fast if we are to effectively compete and counter actors such as Russia and China in places like Central Asia.

Carol D. Miller represents the 1st District of West Virginia and is a member of the Ways and Means Committee.