With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan sprang up as independent states along China's western frontier. Suddenly, Beijing was forced to deal with internal challenges to its authority at its border as well as international competition for energy and authority in Central Asia.

The New Silk Road Diplomacy traces how China, faced with domestic and international challenges, constructed a gradualist approach to Central Asia that prioritized multilateral diplomacy. Although China's primary objective was to ensure stability in its own Muslim-majority domain, it also worked with Russia and the Central Asian republics to increase confidence and security in the border areas and facilitate commerce. Regional diplomacy has, however, brought China into increased competition with the United States, which views Central Asia as vital to its strategic interests, particularly after the attacks of 9/11.

This multifaceted book offers a fresh perspective on the foreign policy of modern China. It will appeal to experts and students of Central Asian affairs and foreign policy and anyone interested in contemporary China and its relationship with its neighbours.