Game Theory and Kazakhstan-China Relations in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative

Kazakhstan, which is located in the center of Eurasia, is of great importance for China that aims to strengthen the transportation of goods and services to the European countries with its Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan plays a key country role in this project. The aim of the study is to provide a better understanding of Kazakhstan's geographical importance from the perspective of One Belt One Road (OBOR) project. This study suggests that as long as Kazakhstan pays its debts to China, OBOR project will be an effective and positive initiative in the economic, social and security fields in Kazakhstan. The questions the study seeks answers are as follows: Is Kazakhstan an important actor of the OBOR project? What will be the benefit of the OBOR project, which is seen as a tool to continue the rise of China, to Kazakhstan? Will the geographic importance of Kazakhstan increase due to this initiative? All these questions will be evaluated in the context of Game Theory, which has an important place in the international relations discipline. The most important reason for the use of this theory in the study is that the OBOR project will demonstrate the possible benefits to be gained by Kazakhstan and the possible losses that Kazakhstan will experience if she does not cooperate. When evaluated in a general framework, the scenario that will maximize the interests of Kazakhstan and China and provide the most benefit has been the 'benefiting' scenario in which both Kazakhstan and China have agreed to cooperate together in the Belt-Road Initiative.

Keywords

One Belt, One Road, Kazakhstan, China, Security, Game Theory, International Politics