Uzbekistan’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative is framed through agential narratives of resistance, highlighting historical conflicts and cautious economic relations with China. I delve into the long history of Sino-Uzbekistani relations, particularly pre-colonial times, to present a perspective beyond the Eurocentric view that sees modern Central Asia as a creation of the Russian Empire and the USSR. I add depth to the postcolonial aspect of Uzbekistan’s relations with Russia by exploring local narratives about China’s historical colonial role in the region.

By employing the concept of ‘pragmatic silkroadism,’ I find that the Sinocentric imaginary of a peaceful Silk Road is not widely embraced in Uzbekistan beyond direct interactions with China. Sinocentric silkroadism is not a central discourse in Uzbekistan’s foreign policy, except when promoting tourism and arts conservation. Instead, alternative Uzbekistani narratives emphasize historical conflicts and resistance along the ancient Silk Roads. These narratives assign colonial characteristics to Uzbekistan’s historical relations with both China and Russia.

I also explore the postcolonial origin of Uzbekistan’s otherization of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang as fruit of the Sino-Russian division of Central Asia into Russian (Central Asia proper, formerly colonised by Russia) and Chinese Central Asia (colonised by the Great Qing and still under colonial rule). Uzbekistani elite narratives of active resistance against colonialism and imperialism differ from the structural neocolonial hierarchies typical in postcolonial nation-building. These narratives are crucial for understanding Uzbekistan’s framing of its relations with both the PRC, especially concerning potential neocolonial dependencies from the BRI, and with the Russian Federation.

This talk is based on a quantitative document analysis, through a Structural Topic Model, of 26.391 documents published by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2001-2021) and 44 interviews with Uzbekistani state officials, businesspeople, journalists, and civil society leaders during three months of fieldwork in Uzbekistan.