Eurasian Corridors of Interconnection : From the South China to the Caspian Sea

This volume aims to rethink the regional concept of "Eurasia" as a scale of analysis and as a geographical place, examining dynamic geopolitical links reconfiguring Eurasian spaces from the western edge of Europe through the eastern edge of Asia. While current debates presume that Eurasia is merely a catch-all term for bare ambition and geostrategic wrangling, seeing the Eurasian region from the perspective of the most powerful players, this volume presents a usefully broad vision of blurred borders - from the eastern edges of the Sino-Vietnamese zone through the Himalayan corridor and the Central Asian "near abroad" distinguished more by their syncretism than antagonism.

Connectivity, as well as conflict, characterizes Eurasia. This edited volume explores dynamic geopolitical and geo-economic links reconfiguring spaces from the eastern edge of Europe through the western edge of Asia, seeking explanation beyond description. The ancient Silk Road tied together space, much as pipelines, railroads, telecommunications infrastructure, and similar cultural and constructed links ease the mobility of people and products in modern Eurasia. This book considers Eurasia along an interlinked corridor, with chapters illustrating the connections as a discussion foundation focusing on the shared interactions of a set of nation states through time and across space, generating more positive considerations of the resurgently important region of Eurasia. China’s interests fall into three chapters: the southeastern border with Vietnam, the southwestern Himalayan edge, and the western Muslim regions. Russia’s recovery relates events to a larger landmass context and focuses on the importance of historic mobility. A geo-history of the Caspian considers this petroleum-rich area as a zone of cultural and economic interconnection. The final focus on Central Asia treats the traditional heart of “Eurasia”. The concluding chapter pulls together strands linking subregions for a new concept of “Eurasia” as an area linked by vital interests and overlapping histories.