Shift to ‘Coopetition’ in the U.S. Central Asia Strategy complements US Indo-Pacific StrategyAt the core of the strategic rivalry between the United States and China lies China’s heavy dependence on maritime trade routes. This stark regional disparity creates a national imperative for Beijing to rebalance economic development toward the interior, driving China’s strategic expansion into Central Asia. This strategy not only lowers transportation costs and diversifies export routes, but also fosters industrial growth in the interior, fundamentally altering China’s economic geography. Fostering Competitive Cooperation to Reflect Realpolitik in Central AsiaBuilding on this strategic imperative, America should actively promote the development of an open, resilient, and inclusive regional economic ecosystem in Central Asia. Critics rightly warn that deepening economic ties with authoritarian-leaning states such as China risks entrenching illiberal governance models across Central Asia.