ENERGY SILK ROAD: PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OIL AND GAS COOPERATION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

After gaining independence, Kazakhstan and China have achieved significant results in the development of cooperation in the oil and gas sector. This study analyzes the energy component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the prospects for the development of cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas industry, and also traces its configuration and dynamics after the proclamation of the BRI, in order to study the motives for China's investment in Kazakhstan, as well as prospects development of relations between the two countries. The purpose of this article is to analyze the dynamics of development of oil and gas cooperation between Kazakhstan and China within the framework of the Energy Silk Road. In order to determine how much the proclamation of the BRI has affected the relations between the two countries in the energy sector, it was studied using a comparative analysis of two periods: 1991-2013, 2013 - present. The scientific and practical significance of the study is determined by an attempt to analyze the significance of the Energy Silk Road in the dynamics of oil and gas cooperation between China and Kazakhstan.

This study is a contribution to the scientific and analytical literature in the field of Sinology, international economic relations, investment in the oil and gas sector. The article is of practical importance for young scientists: orientalists, international researchers, as well as economists, government officials in the field of diplomacy, employees in the field of oil and gas cooperation between China and Kazakhstan.