1990年代初期蘇聯的瓦解,帶來國際體系的重大變化。其中,由15個前蘇聯加盟共和國所組成的地緣政治空間,是觀察家眼中的戰略要地。認為取得歐亞大陸的主導權,是成為世界霸權的至要關鍵。布里辛斯基更以「歐亞巴爾幹」稱此心臟地帶,其地緣戰略重要性不可言喻。長期以來,由於深處內陸,同時,基於前蘇聯共產統治的歷史因素,中亞在國際體系內對外有其一定的封閉性。然而,冷戰終結,權力真空下的中亞地區,呈現多元且開放競爭之狀態。除此之外,豐富的石油與天然氣能源蘊藏,更吸引著許多國家到此進行利益角逐。2001年九一一恐怖攻擊事件發生後,中亞成為國際反恐的重要基地,防止區域內各極端勢力與恐怖份子的結合,則是相關國家在中亞的非傳統安全問題上的重要利益考量。 包含哈薩克、塔吉克、吉爾吉斯、土庫曼與烏茲別克等五國,雖然構成了當代政治意涵上的中亞區域體系,然而,在各內外因素交互作用下,其所能發揮的影響力量則相當有限。內部因素上,由於各國仍處於經濟與政治的轉型階段,因此,中亞五國尚不足以成為區域的主導力量。外部因素方面,地緣政治、石油與天然氣利益,以及非傳統安全問題的考量,加速其他強權國家到中亞進行利益角逐的競賽,在這些國家中,尤以美國、俄羅斯和中國在中亞地區的競爭最為激烈。換言之,影響現階段的中亞區域安全體系情勢者,主要是強權間的互動作用力,而非中亞國家自身實力因素。 國際關係理論中的結構現實主義學派,重視體系與行為者之間的分析研究。其核心論點為:在無政府狀態下,體系的型態將影響國家的行為產出,同時,主要國家行為者間的實力分配情況,也將成為體系內衝突發生與否的關鍵性因素。本論文以冷戰後美國、中國與俄羅斯的中亞政策為主要研究對象,觀察上述強權國家在中亞地區的「地緣政治」、「石油與天然氣能源」和「非傳統安全」三項政策產出與互動情形。採用結構現實主義為主要研究方法,探討在體系結構變動的情況下,區域內主要行為者的利益與實力分配問題。其次,研究命題假設也將涉及強權作用力與中亞區域安全間的討論,並以「權力平衡理論」和「權力轉移理論」檢驗強權在中亞地區的權力運作,分析與預測未來中亞區域衝突發生之可能。
The collapse of the Soviet Union has tremendously changed the international system. On this new world stage, the geopolitical space comprised of the fifteen former Soviet republics is of considerably strategic values. Zbigniew Brzezinski hence named it “The Eurasian Balkans” to stand out the national and geopolitical complexity and importance of this region. The Central Asia is from many strategists’ view the heartland of the Eurasian Balkans, and to achieve the predominance in this area is the key point to become world hegemony. However, due to being the geographical inner land and historically being colonized by the Soviet Union, Central Asia had had been hard reached until the end of the Cold War. The independence of the five countries, including Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, contributes to the power vacuum status in Central Asia. Among other things, the fruitful oil and gas resources are also of great interest to many countries. Sliding the time capsule to the 21st century, since the September 11 attack the Central Asia has further become the front-line of fighting terrorism. Therefore, without Soviet governance anymore, the geopolitical, energy and non-traditional security factors of the time play an important role as vital nation interests in appealing to the great powers to this region. The five countries though comprise contemporary political central Asian region, they nevertheless may wield only limited influence on the regional security. The internal reason is that they are still at the stage of economically and politically transition. It is going to be difficult for them to maintain regional security before reaching certain development. The external one is that the geopolitical, oil & gas and the non-traditional security interests have been accelerating the race among the United States, Russia and China. In other words, it is the Great Powers which currently dominate the security and stability of the Central Asia. According to theories of International Relations, Structural Realism emphasizes the study of international system and nation states. The core statement is: the structure of international system will be influential in the outcome of the nation states, i.e. in an anarchic society, the state behavior is constrained by the structure. Furthermore, it is only the great powers contribute to the formation of the international system, hence the allocation, either unipolar, bipolar or multipolar, of the main state power counts for the possibility of conflicts. The thesis focuses on the United States, Russia and China’s policy in Central Asia after Cold War. The observation on the one hand will be divided into three parts: geopolitical, gas & oil energy and non-traditional security interests. On the other hand, to analyze issues concerned, Structural Realism will be applied as the research approach. The thesis also explores the influence of great powers on the security of Central Asia. “Theory of Balance of Power” and “Power Transition Theory” are main tools to examine whether the existence of this three states are going to bring a more stable or conflicting Central Asia in the future.