Linking security and development in China-Central Asia relations: Regional interdependence and SDG advancement

This study examines the security parameters of the China-Central Asia partnership and their role in strengthening regional as well as trans-regional collaboration toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By using the lens of Complex Interdependence Theory, the study conceptualizes security as interlocked with institutional, economic, infrastructural and developmental processes rather than as a domain solely confined to military relationships. A qualitative research approach is used to examine Beijing’s security engagement with the Central Asian republics through multiple channels of communication or interaction including border security, counterterrorism, energy security, infrastructure protection and regional security-based cooperation that enable conditions for stability, development and connectivity, thereby sustaining SDG-related outcomes. China’s development-oriented security approach integrates development and security by viewing political stability, economic growth and regional cooperation as equally reinforcing elements of a broader security strategy. The study mainly argues that security cooperation between China and Central Asian republics goes beyond traditional threat management by connecting security with development and regional interdependence and establishing potential pathways across the region for advancing sustainable development.