London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

China's Xi Invites Ex Soviet Republics Of Central Asia For Summit

China's Xi Invites Ex Soviet Republics Of Central Asia For Summit

The Chinese president extended the offer to the "first China-Central Asia summit", scheduled for May, in similar telegrammes sent on Monday and Tuesday to the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
China's Xi Jinping this week invited the leaders of the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia to a first joint summit in China, a bid to boost Beijing's influence in Russia's backyard.

The Chinese president extended the offer to the "first China-Central Asia summit", scheduled for May, in similar telegrams sent on Monday and Tuesday to the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and made public by the recipients.

Reclusive Turkmenistan, the top supplier of gas to China, has not yet announced whether it has been invited to the gathering.

The authoritarian republics of Central Asia were part of the Soviet Union and have been dominated by Moscow since the mid-19th century.

But Russia's influence is being challenged, increasingly since the invasion of Ukraine.

Beijing is courting Moscow's traditional allies in the region, both politically and economically -- the latter via projects such as the mammoth road, rail and port infrastructure scheme designed as a modern iteration of the Silk Road through Central Asia and beyond.

Turkey and Western powers are also seeking to bolster their influence in the strategically located mineral-rich region.

In addition to Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, chief European Union diplomat Charles Michel and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have all beaten a path to Central Asian doors in recent months.

Xi also hosted an online regional summit in January 2022 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sino-Central Asian diplomatic relations since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In the four invitations sent out on Monday and Tuesday to mark Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which is celebrated in the region, Xi underlined the strengthening ties between China and the Central Asian regimes.

The missive published by the official Tajik news agency Khovar quotes Xi as saying he is "eager to discuss a grand plan to develop relations" between his country and the region.

However, Beijing's increasing influence is not universally welcomed.

Sections of the population in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, which along with Tajikistan have borders with China, have voiced a degree of concern and opposition. All have Muslim majorities.

These concerns relate particularly to land acquisition by China, government debt owed to Beijing and the latter's brutal treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority, which is also present in Central Asia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
South Korea's Brief Declaration of Martial Law
Unidentified Drones Spotted Over UK Airbases
Israel Offers $5 Million for Each Gaza Hostage Freed
"We Need A British Trump"- Former Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss
Make Orwell fiction again
CIA Official Arrested for Leaking Intelligence on Israel-Iran Conflict
Special counsel Jack Smith asks the court to dismiss his appeal regarding Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
BORIS: UK May Deploy Troops If Trump Cuts Support to Ukraine
Trump Administration Taking Shape: No Invitations Issued to Nikki Haley or Mike Pompeo
Iranian Man Charged in Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump
£3 Billion of British Taxpayer Money Spent by UK Government on Hotel Costs for Migrants
Unlike the shock and profound sadness at 10 Downing Street, British citizens assembled for an impressive rally backing the elected President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Elon Musk Predicts Justin Trudeau's Electoral Defeat
Here's why: Scott Presley convinced swing voters in Pennsylvania with a clear and direct question.
Royal Estates Earning Millions from Public Services and Charities
Siemens Acquires Altair Engineering in $10.6 Billion Deal
The man who got hit by a bus and immediately went back to the pub is strong! Beer is very important.
Donald Trump files $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, accusing them of 'deceptively doctoring' Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview
Formal Address for Meghan Markle at Invictus Games
Understanding the US Electoral College System
Apple Launches AI Features on Select iPhones
JP Morgan Sued Customers Over Viral Cheque Fraud Scheme
King Charles to Continue Global Tours Despite Cancer Diagnosis
Venice Extends Tourist Entry Fee Program to 2025
Tommy Robinson Charged Under Terrorism Act for Phone Offence
Plans to Increase Employers' National Insurance Announced
Washington Post Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan has RESIGNED after owner Jeff Bezos BARRED the endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Massive Theft of Artisan Cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy
US Man Charged with Murder of Co-Worker over Breaks
Carbon Monoxide Incident Claims Lives at UK Care Home
Birmingham Airport Evacuated Due to Suspicious Vehicle
Former US President Barack Obama raps the lyrics to Eminem's ‘Lose Yourself’ after the rapper introduces him at a Kamala Harris rally in Detroit
KYIV URGES NORTH KOREAN TROOPS IN UKRAINE TO SURRENDER
Ofcom Identifies Link Between Social Media Posts and UK Unrest
Russian Boxer Receives Lifetime Ban for Illegal Move in Boxing Debut
Biden Labels Trump a Threat to Democracy
McDonald's Linked to E. coli Outbreak Leading to One Death
Teacher Enoch Burke arrested at Wilson’s Hospital School in Ireland after refusing to endorse and affirm transgender ideology.
FBI Investigates Leak of US Intelligence on Israeli Strike Plans
Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah's Financial Resources
China’s Baidu is revolutionizing transportation with its robotaxi service
Angela Rayner Secures Permanent Seat on UK National Security Council
Russian Ambassador Claims UK's Proxy War in Ukraine
Doctor Advocates for Assisted Dying Law Reform
Ruth Davis Appointed as UK’s First Nature Envoy
Pressure Mounts on Starmer to Discuss Reparations at Commonwealth Summit
James Cleverly’s Costly In-Flight Catering for Government Trips
AI Regulation Takes Center Stage in 2024 US Presidential Campaign
NASA Study Explores Potential Microbial Life Beneath Mars' Ice
Cats: The Liquid-Like Pets
×