Illiberal Integration: Russia, China, and the Role of Information Control Technologies in Central Asia's Securitized Regionalism

• In Event: Public Opinion and International Security: Identity, Media, and Influence in Central Asia and Eastern Europe

Abstract

This paper examines a critical binding mechanism within authoritarian regionalism: the adoption of information control technologies by Central Asian states from China and Russia. By analyzing two Central Asian cases, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, drawing on original interview data and open statistical sources, this study shows how neighboring major powers distribute advanced surveillance and digital control technologies to consolidate regional stability.

Author

• Seonhee Kim, Seoul National U (South Korea)