With Russia mired in a long war in Ukraine and increasingly dependent on China for supplies, Beijing is moving quickly to expand its sway in Central Asia, a region that was once in the Kremlin’s sphere of influence.
Russia, for its part, is pushing back hard.
As the leaders of Central Asian countries meet with the presidents of China and Russia this week in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, China’s rising presence is visible in the region.
Flag-waving Kazakh children who sang in Chinese greeted Xi Jinping, China’s leader, upon his arrival in Astana on Tuesday.
But as the group has expanded its membership, China and Russia have used it as a platform to showcase their ambitions of reshaping a global order dominated by the United States.
Persons:
Xi Jinping, Vladimir V, Putin
Organizations:
Russia, Central, Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Locations:
Ukraine, China, Beijing, Central Asia, Russia, Astana, Kazakhstan, United States