The Cultural Identity of Central Asia: Post-Colonialism or Neocolonialism?

Abstract

Growing migration in Central Asia creates problems for maintaining the cultural identity of the countries and territories of the region. The purpose of article is the analysis of possible risks in the social and spiritual sphere of the people of the region related to the implementation of the project of the Eurasian transport corridor. The experience of Xingjiang and Tibet shows that at collision with the institutional or cultural conflict in Central Asia, the Chinese side will not try to solve contradictions in cultural identification of inhabitants of controlled territories. The most vulnerable in terms of influence of ethnocultural policy of the Chinese side are the poorest countries of the region: Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Russia and Kazakhstan have to be afraid of an increase in a flow of migrants from these countries as they, owing to long cultural interaction and presence of numerous Central Asian diasporas, can be more attractive for the population of these territories than the areas of traditional accommodation which found themselves under the Chinese protectorate.