A study on China and Kazakhstan's relationships 1992-2009

中華人民共和國為世界主要強權之一，且為現存最大的共產主義國家，而哈薩克斯坦共和國為前蘇聯加盟共和國之中，最大的非斯拉夫民族共和國，1991年底獨立後成為世界第九大國、最大內陸國及中亞地區最大國。中共在哈薩克獨立後隨即與之建交，兩國建交迄今將近20年，兩國非惟在政治、外交、安全層面合作密切，歷年簽署的雙邊條約或行政協議、公報、宣言汗牛充棟，近年在經濟、能源層面的高度互補，也引起各界的關注。 本文透過歷史分析法，追溯當代哈薩克民族國家的起源，回顧近代哈薩克與中國之間的外交演變，包括清朝時期、國民政府時期及中共建政時期，並以此歷史脈絡作為認識哈薩克獨立後中哈雙邊關係之基礎。而在2001年上海合作組織成立後，中哈之間除了既有的雙邊關係，又增加了多邊關係的互動平台，是故本文以2001年上海合作組織成立的時點作為分野，將中哈關係分成前、後二階段探討，並分別就兩國政治、經濟、能源與安全四大議題分別論述評析。最後，鑑於中亞地區在國際地緣戰略上的重要價值，中哈關係的發展始終受到其他強權外部因素的影響，因此特別針對俄羅斯、美國、歐盟國家、印度等對哈薩克亦抱持戰略興趣的國家，深入研析該等國家對哈薩克的外交作為，以暸解對於中哈關係產生的衝擊。 本文發現，中哈之間目前除水資源爭議外並無利益衝突，在以疆界問題為主的高度政治議題解決後，兩國在低度政治議題特別是石油領域，建交至今有長足的進步，符合哈薩克「石油興國」的目標，更成就中國「油源多元化」以打破「麻六甲困境」的能源安全大佈局。因此，中哈關係在目前國際環境條件不變之下，在各自以國家利益為前提下，可望繼續深化友好，促使中國與中亞地區產生更緊密連結。The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is nowadays one of the major powers in the world and the largest communist country. Republic of Kazakhstan (Қазақстан Республикасы) is the largest non-Slavic peoples component of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and after its independence, it becomes the 9th largest country in the world and the most important and the largest country in central Asia. The PRC and Kazakhstan has established diplomatic relations since January, 1992 soon following Kazakhstan’s declaration of independence on Dec. 16, 1991. The PRC-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations are growing closer not merely in high politics such as diplomacy and security issues, but also in low politics such as economy and energy issues. The two countries have signed and reached certain treaties, agreements, bulletins and pronouncements as well. This thesis reviews the origin of Kazakhstanian nation state and the transformation of mutual relations from the Chin Dynasty to the eve of Kazakhstan’s independence on the basis of the historical analytic approach and evaluates the present PRC-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations. Moreover, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was founded in Jun. 15, 2001 and it offered a multilateral channel for the PRC and Kazakhstan to dialogue and negotiate with each other. So this thesis divides the PRC-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations into two periods by the crucial year 2001 and therefore compares bilateral political, economical, energy and security (including anti-terrorism) issues before and after 2001. Nevertheless, the PRC-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations are always under the influence of other major powers such as Russia, the USA, the EU or even India due to the geopolitical value of central Asia, the so-called “heartland” of the “world island” in Mackinder’s theory. As a result, this thesis discusses on the impact by these behaviors upon the PRC-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations and its resolutions. Finally, this thesis concludes that the PRC-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations are getting better with the time except for water resource issue. Their first cooperative item is petroleum mining and transportation. By doing so, Kazakhstan can trade foreign exchange to develop economy, while the PRC can ensure its petroleum import from “Malacca” dilemma and avoid energy hunger. Hence, looking forward to the future of the PRC-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations, they will build closer tie than ever under their national interests, and play more important roles both in central Asia and the world politics