Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the importance of population and language for China’s Central Asian policy through soft power resources. This article will evaluate the steps China has taken since the disintegration of the USSR to remove the perception of threat felt by the peoples of the region. We will argue that China is trying to turn its population, which is seen as the biggest threat it poses, into an advantage for itself. Moreover, it will be pointed out that China is actively using its spiritual heritage to eliminate these negative perceptions and in this regard the objectives of Confucius schools will be assessed. The study will elaborate on the fact that China is using these schools and its population as important tools in expanding its area of influence in regional and international platforms. As a result of the study, it was revealed that although the soft power of China, which is popular in academic circles and with officials, was sometimes successful in practice, there were certain limitations in its population and language policies.