Китай в Центральной Азии: мифы и реальность

The article examines the issue of China's presence in Central Asia. China is one of the largest neighbors, a leading geopolitical actor, and the most important trading partner of the Central Asian states. Therefore, understanding the processes taking place in China and the specifics of its relations with the countries of the region is a priority research task. The author draws attention to new aspects of China's policy in Central Asia and the specifics of its presence in this region, as well as the changes that have occurred in relation to this presence among the populations of the countries of the region. Since the early 2000s, and especially after the launch of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative in 2013, China has been strengthening its influence in the region through economic methods, and within the framework of the SCO, it is creating conditions for the formation of a new regional security architecture. The Chinese factor in Central Asia is an established reality that the countries of the region must learn not only to live with, but also to respond to adequately.