Introduction to Geopolitics

The World is Not Enough
(Dodds,
2003)).
In addition, the recent establishment of the “stans” (Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, Tajik-
istan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) has added further political tensions. Kazakhstan
and Turkmenistan have their own oil and gas reserves, but these countries are also seen
as pivotal in the “War on Terrorism” as they are portrayed as a “battleground” between
Islamic fundamentalist groups and the establishment of “free institutions,” meaning
nominal democratic practices (though corruption and lack of political openness are rife)
and free markets.
The final ingredient in the mix is the role of three powerful countries, each seeking
to play a role in the region: China, Russia, and the United States. China and Russia
claim “traditional” or “established” influence in the region. In other words, they resort
to previous geopolitical codes to justify contemporary ones. For the United States, its
increased presence in the region is couched in terms of the War on Terrorism, with
access to oil and gas underlying the concern.
Political dynamics within countries after gaining independence, religious and polit-
ical agendas, oil and gas, and the presence of three countries with a history of antagonism
combine to make a complex situation.
Below are extracts from media reports on the geopolitical codes of China, Russia,
and the US as they pertain to the republics of Central Asia. Read the extracts with an
eye to the five elements of geopolitical codes.
1111
2
3
41
5
6
7
8
91
10
1
2
31111
4
5
6
7
8
9
20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
30
1
2
3
4
51
6
7
8
9
40
1
2
3
4
5111
G E O P O L I T I C A L   C O D E S
61
Activity
Many countries post key foreign policy documents on the web. 
• Choose a country of interest to you and see to what extent their code is aimed
at the local, regional, and global scales and how they are connected. 
• Also, identify how both force and diplomacy are combined in the statements.

---

UZBE
KIS
TA
N