Understanding the United States’ C5+1 Platform

Dr. Öğretim Üyesi Figen AYDIN

It is widely accepted that the international system became globalized in the aftermath of the Second World War. However, the shifting balance of power following the dissolution of the Soviet Union created both political and economic vacuums within the international system. The series of crises that emerged at the beginning of the twenty-first century further exposed fractures in the global international order.

The global financial crisis of 2008 is widely regarded as the first major factor contributing to the erosion of confidence in globalization and the questioning of its underlying assumptions. The launch of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, together with the emergence of BRICS as an intergovernmental organization, provided alternatives to the West and Western values. The rise of institutions and frameworks that challenged the Western-led global order further accelerated the trend toward deglobalization and the weakening of the existing globalization paradigm.

Global crises and conflicts, such as the trade war between the United States and China and Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, have further reinforced the foundations of deglobalization and the retreat from globalization. Moreover, the growing tendency of the United States—the principal architect of the contemporary global international order—to reconsider its commitment to international organizations and to no longer regard them as indispensable has been interpreted as another factor encouraging states to distance themselves from the globalization process.

Within the emerging configuration of the international system, the global order founded upon Western values continues to persist, while the factors contributing to a retreat from the global system have become increasingly numerous. This dynamic has encouraged states to embrace deglobalization and to construct new or alternative international frameworks. The chain of events driving the transformation toward deglobalization has had far-reaching consequences, affecting the international system as a whole.

The C5+1 Platform, established by the United States and the Central Asian states in 2015, is widely regarded as part of Washington’s broader effort to construct new spheres of engagement amid the ongoing process of deglobalization. Although its establishment appears to have been driven by a variety of factors, the most significant impetus behind the emergence of the C5+1 framework can be identified as the search for new geopolitical and economic arenas in an increasingly fragmented international environment. In this context, the abundance of natural resources in Central Asia has constituted a key factor shaping the initiative’s development and strategic significance.

It can be argued that the United States’ policies toward Central Asia have become increasingly integrated with the C5+1 framework as part of its broader effort to establish new spheres of influence in an increasingly deglobalizing world. The notion of creating new or reconfigured geopolitical and economic spaces, which has emerged as a consequence of deglobalization, can be effectively examined through the lens of the C5+1 Platform.

An examination of the objectives and future prospects of the C5+1 framework is essential for providing a comprehensive understanding of U.S. policies toward Central Asia. Likewise, an assessment of the diplomatic approaches adopted by the Central Asian states toward the C5+1 Platform constitutes a valuable contribution to the literature, as it offers insights into the evolving nature of the international system and its future trajectory.

In addition to the ongoing retreat from globalization, perspectives emphasizing the growing significance of regionalism and localization have gained increasing attention. These developments suggest that the global international order is undergoing a transformation toward a phase of deglobalization. Within this evolving context, it can be observed that the United States has sought to reestablish and strengthen its ties with the Central Asian states through the C5+1 Platform, thereby adapting its regional engagement strategy to the realities of a deglobalizing world.

Dr. Öğretim Üyesi Figen AYDIN

İstanbul Yeni Yüzyıl Üniversitesi

Siyaset Bilimi ve Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü

figen.aydin@yeniyuzyil.edu.tr