China has common history with Central Asia. In distant past, china was linked through silk route with and entire trade with Europe, and other regions was conducted through silk route. When Islam entered in the lives of Central Asian people the whole central Asia came under Muslim rule. In those days the region was called Turkistan and also included the area which is now a province of china, in Xingjian, therefore ancient ethnic and religious links exist between China and Central Asian States. Due to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, spread over 300 miles the in habitants on both sides remain in
In the present circumstances, the role of china may remain unpredictable to both America and Russia but it that China will be most important player in the Central Asian Region in future. Since the independence of Central Asian States in 1991 China has built close bilateral trade and investment connections to create and of influence. China always evolves long term policies and sticks to them until their maturity and success.
Major concern of China with regard to Central Asia has been the activities of guerillas of Islamic Movement Taliban trained uighur Islamic militants of Xinjiang province which are growing political unrest by means of in Chinese territories and attacks on Chinese security forces. Throughout the last decade of 20th century strategic aim of China was to ensure that the central Asian governments kept a tight control on the activities of uighor Islamic militants on their soil as well as keep the uighur minority living Asia to help the separatist uighor militants of Xingjians province of china. In accordance with the Chinese wishes, the Central Asian governments shut down the uighur publications and offices. Moreover the uighurs which criticized were arrested besides having proper control on borders to ensure that arms and funds for uighur sepatists are not allowed to reach Xinjiang.
China's other major strategic interest was to resolve hundreds of territorial disputes with Central Asian States which were inherited from the Tzarist regimes of Russia due to which the Chinese – tense. During the 1990s Chinese set up joint border commission with Russia Kazakhstan and Kyrgystan and most of the disputes. However the territorial disputes with Tajikistan have not been resolved.
China has a 30% of Tajikistan territory along their common border in Gorno Badakhshan where huge gold deposits have been found. In order to settle the territorial disputes China had taken its most significant step in Central Asia by convening a summit meeting in 1996 in Shangi of 5 states which share common borders i.e, China, Russia, Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. As a result of this summit meeting a process of de-militanisation and demarcation of borders started which was a major break through. More over an 80 miles vide transparency zone was also created and joint military patrols were proposed to be arranged. The main outcome of the summit meeting was the which became a permanent group having summit meetings every year. With the passage of time the Shanghai – 5 became a wide ranging military, security and economic pact when the annual summit meeting of Shanghai – 5 was held in Bishket, the capital of Kyrgyzstan in 1999, the guerillas of Islamic movement of Uzbekistan and made four geologists of Japan as hostages. The host presidents. Akayev had to face a summit meeting became a forum for discussion regarding threat of Islamic militants, drugs and weapons which Afghanistan and de – stabilizing Central Asian State.When the summit meeting ended, a joint declaration was signatures of five leaders in which it was agreed to enhance co-operation in fighting international terrorism, trade, arms trafficking, illegal migration, separatism and religious extremism. It was also pledged to create a at the suggestion of Russia to check American efforts of hegemony. Besides the summit meeting Chinese Zemin and Russian president Bons yeltsin also arranged a breakfast meeting to broaden strategic partnership between china and Russia were discussed. The out come of the meeting has a clear message for the world that China, Russia and Central Asian States consider the radical Islam as common threat and to counter it they are aside all their differences. It was the first time when the Central Asian States sought Chinese military help