China, Central Asia, and Conspiracy Theories

Incomprehension of the Chinese foreign policy goals in Central Asia by local elites, in addition to a historic legacy of confrontation between the Chinese empire and Central Asian nomadic tribes, serves as a fertile ground for the popularisation of speculative knowledge. As a result, Chinese initiatives in the region are clouded by rumours and conspiracies.

Kemel Toktomushev Research Fellow, University of Central Asia via CHINA US Focus http://ift.tt/2bpWMRt