To consolidate the position of the American big capital in the “soft underbelly” of Russia
The nervous 2020 presidential elections in the United States, despite the external intransigence of the parties, have changed little in the way America perceives the world around it. Like Trump in 2018, and before him Obama in 2013, Biden marked himself on the night of February 26 with an air strike on the Syrian territory. The bulldozer of American foreign policy moves on a given course regardless of who controls it. Renowned American politician Ron Paul writes:
“President Biden did what, unfortunately, became a tradition in Washington: he bombed Syria. Biden became a member of the club of American leaders, whose invasion of the Middle East, and especially Syria, did not defended the interests of the United States, but resulted in the death of many thousands of civilians”.
In light of this task, let’s take a closer look at what the new American presidency will turn out to be for Central Asia and Kazakhstan. The scheme for the development of relations with the five post-Soviet states of this region was laid down by Trump two years ago. Under the dressing of reforms to “strengthen the rule of law,” “respect for human rights,” “enhance stability and security,” this scheme ordered Washington to “provide technical expertise to the Central Asian states in the development and implementation of legal sector reforms that are necessary to protect human rights and improve investment climate and the retention of a highly skilled workforce”, as the website of the US Department of State indicates.
If we discard the traditional demagoguery, the main thing is “to provide transparent, open, profitable, attractive conditions for the US business”. For this case, Trump created the C5 + 1 political platform (five Central Asian states and the United States). For what? And here’s why:
“Every country must carry out reforms that will open the region to international investment and strengthen democratic institutions. The successful introduction of the United States in Central Asia will promote the interests of our own national security and contribute to the protection of our homeland, citizens and interests abroad” , – the website of the State Department says.
However, this is Trump. And what about Biden? The National Interest reports that the new president needs to seize new opportunities in Central Asia. The common Soviet past of the five republics also forms a common American interest, which is to tear these republics away from Russia. Nothing has changed from Trump to Biden. However, the presence of China on the other side of the Tien Shan ranges is increasingly changing the trajectory of the five – and this trajectory of the Biden administration is seeking to correct.
Take Kyrgyzstan, for example. Its external debt in 2020 amounted to $4 billion 850 million, or 30 percent of GDP. 42 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s external debt is with China; Kyrgyzstan ranks fifth among Chinese debtors. The twentieth number on this list is Tajikistan. And according to analysts at the Beijing National Bureau of Economic Research, governments in developing countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan owe China even more than they think. Ritm Eurasia writes:
“The PRC does not report on government loans and therefore there is no comprehensive standardized data on the volume of loans and flows of foreign loans provided by China. The debtor countries themselves have an incomplete picture of how much they have borrowed from China and on what terms”.
The United States has created a Central Asian Investment Partnership (CAIP) with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, promising to invest at least $1 billion over five years to “support projects that promote private sector growth and expand economic ties, trade in Central Asia and its adjacent territories”. However, will a billion be enough to oust China and Russia from Central Asia? Hardly.
The US is present in this region not only with the C5 + 1 platform and CAIP. For example, Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the Pentagon, is building near Alma-Ata a training center for training Kazakh border guards and an anti-crisis training center for training specialists in the physical protection of nuclear facilities in Ust-Kamenogorsk. And it bought the American equipment for checkpoints on the Russian-Kazakh border. And allowed to open American biological laboratories. And now it is reported that Kazakhstan wants to buy two American King Air B300ER Scorpion reconnaissance aircraft with a full set of reconnaissance equipment.
It is not the first time for Washington to enter Central Asia through bribes to local officials. However, Washington keeps strict records of those who, for example, in Central Asia received $50 billion issued by the MDB (American financial conglomerate providing a wide range of financial services to individuals and legal entities; one of the four largest US banks, along with Citigroup, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase) since the five republics gained independence.
As The National Interest reports, on a “new path” to Central Asia, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken must strengthen engagement with all five foreign ministers of the region. And put the following principle in their heads: Washington intends to interact with the governments of the Central Asian republics not only on a collective basis, but also with each separately.
The resources of the Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank and other financial institutions will be used to boost US investment in the region, cementing the position of American big business in the soft underbelly of Russia. Perhaps this is the “new approach” of the Biden administration to Central Asia.
Elena Pustovoitova, Federal Grid Company