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Abstract

China has made significant strides in developing energy diplomacy in the former Soviet states of Central Asia in the name of diversifying its trading partners. However, the case of Turkmenistan, currently undergoing a complicated leadership transition, provides evidence of China's potential limitations in engaging Central Asia in the hopes of securing nearby sources of oil and gas. The ongoing problems of post-Soviet governance in Ashgabat and increasing competition for Turkmen natural gas suggest that Beijing may have to better define its economic interests there and allow for increased regional co-operation building to better manage its Central Asian energy trade.

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China's Energy Security and Eurasian Diplomacy: The Case of Turkmenistan

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