Professional Affiliation

Director of Research, Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs

Expert Bio

Bradley Jardine is a political analyst and journalist who has been working on-the-ground to document China's growing economic and political presence in the countries of the former Soviet Union. He is interested in China's efforts to expand its military presence abroad, and in particular, the growing Sino-Russian security nexus in Central Asia. Bradley served as an editor of The Moscow Times from 2016 to 2017 and as South Caucasus correspondent for Eurasianet from 2017 to 2018. He holds a master's in Russian and Eurasian studies from the University of Glasgow (2016) and an MMS in global affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing (2019).

Wilson Center Project

Containing Afghanistan: Central Asia’s Growing Sino-Russian Security Nexus

Project Summary

This February, a Washington Post report confirmed the existence of a strategic Chinese base on Tajikistan's restive Afghan border. The base is the first attempt by China to station troops on the territory of a former Soviet Republic, suggesting a strategic shift in Sino-Russian relations. While China's growing political and economic clout in Central Asia has long been acknowledged, the story of Beijing's security arrangements with regional actors is less well known. This project will assess the securitization of Central Asia's southern periphery using a comparative analysis of Russia and China's strategic policies in Tajikistan, a country both actors view as an important front for containing unrest in neighboring Afghanistan. The analysis will also seek to understand the dynamics of the Sino-Russian partnership as Moscow begins to cede its regional monopoly on hard power.

Major Publications

 

How is Russia Responding to China's Creeping Security Presence in Tajikistan? (Russian analytical Digest)

In Russia's Shadow: China's Rising Security Presence in Central Asia (Kennan Institute)

The Chinese Islamic Association in the Arab World: The Use of Islamic Soft Power in Promoting Silence on Xinjiang (Middle East Institute)