Today, the system of relations between China and Russia occupies the entire geopolitically interested lay and expert community. However, the relations between the two countries extend not only to each other, but also to the regions and countries surrounding them, becoming a strange rivalry. Making of Eurasia examines and presents the Eurasian politics of these two neighbouring superpowers, China and Russia, and their multi-layered relations with each other, from competition to military, technological and economic cooperation.

The work of Moritz Pieper from the German Foreign Service, a former research fellow at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in Berlin, attempts to contextualise Chinese and Russian regional policy in the field of international relations. Based on the author's case studies in Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, the book offers a unique comparative perspective on Russian and Chinese economic interests in Central Asia.

Making of Eurasia examines the two main competing systemic approaches and economic initiatives in Central Asia – China's Belt and Road Initiative and Russia's Eurasian Economic Union - and analyses the extent to which these opposing economic and political views contribute to friction for political dominance in the region. China's Belt and Road Initiative was launched in 2013 to expand infrastructure and trade links between Asia, Africa and Europe in order to increase China's influence in global affairs. In 2015, the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was also established as a rival in the Central Asian region. Moreover, the book discusses the broader international significance of these competing Russian and Chinese regional approaches in global processes in light of the emergence of a new transcontinental political space in Eurasia. The book offers valuable insights for both experts and lay readers interested in international relations, Asian studies and Russia-China relations.

Szabolcs Veres – the author is a researcher at the Eurasia Center