A rare collection of essays by leading Chinese and Russian Central Asian specialists. The editors explore uncertain transformations in Central Asia and their implications for Chinese and Russian foreign policies and speculate on the possible outcome of the current search for a regional order.

Acknowledgements - Introduction; Y.Zhang & R.Azizian - PART 1: POLITICAL CHALLENGES - Russia and Central Asia: Evolution of Mutual Perceptions, Policies, and Interdependence; A.Kortunov & A.Shoumikhin - China and Central Asia: Towards a New Relationship; G.Xing - Ethnopolitical Issues and the Emergence of Nation-States in Central Asia; A.Prazauskas - PART 2: THE ETHNIC CONUNDRUM - Ethnic Harmony and Conflicts in Central Asia: Origins and Policies; G.Liu - Russia and Russians in Central Asia; A.Kortunov & S.Lounev - Fundamentalism, Ethnicity and the State: the Cases of Tajikistan, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan; A.Umnov - Population Dynamics in Central Asia and Adjacent Countries from 1960 to 2020; A.Akimov - PART 3: ECONOMIC AGONIES - Central Asia's Transition to a Market Economy: An Analytical Comparison with China; Z.Sun - Central Asia: Towards Ethnic Harmony Through Openness and Reform?; A.Salitsky & V.Fisyukov -Sino-Central Asian Trade and Economic Relations: Progress, Problems and Prospect; Q.Liu - PART 4: STRATEGIC AND SECURITY ISSUES - Security Issues in China's Relations with Central Asian States; G.Xing - Central Asia and the World: Foreign Policy and Strategic Issues; S.Lounev & G.Shirokov - Index

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