Abstract. The article discusses the state roles played by China in Central Asia from 2003 to the present, as well as the reactions of governments and civil society of the region to these roles. Within the framework of the theory of state roles the author characterizes four main Chinese roles in the Central Asian region: developer, connector, inter-governmental cooperation, and participant in regional security governance. The author also analyzes their influence on Chinese Central Asian policies. Furthermore, in the article the reactions of civil society and governments in the region to these Chinese roles are considered. Based on the analysis, the author presents two possible scenarios for the future development of Chinese policies towards Central Asian countries.