Chinese President, ๐๐ข ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ is in Astana, capita of ๐๐๐ณ๐๐ค๐ก๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง to attend the ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐-๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ, along with leaders of the five Central Asian Republics (CARs) โ Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, to strengthen economic and strategic cooperation.
This meeting takes place amidst the backdrop of Israel-Iran conflict, and intensifying geopolitical competition. Central Asiaโs importance to China has grown significantly, both as a ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ and as a ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ (๐๐๐) for trade with Europe.
Xi is expected to deliver a keynote and hold high-level bilateral talks focused on ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ. On the agenda is a planned $๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒlinking Chinaโs Xinjiang region to Uzbekistan via Kyrgyzstan.
China is the top trading partner for all five CARs, with particularly strong ties to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. It has pledged billions of dollars in investment across the region. The summit marked a continuation of Chinaโs deepening commitment to the region and reaffirmed its intent to be a long-term development and security partner.
Russiaโs preoccupation in Ukraine may have given China an opportunity to consolidate its influence among the five former Soviet CARs. Do you agree?
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ซ: This article has references to official and open sources, including Al Jazeera.