{"id":193932,"date":"2025-06-18T08:33:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T08:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/193932\/"},"modified":"2025-06-18T08:33:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T08:33:10","slug":"china-intrudes-in-russias-backyard-as-moscow-remains-occupied-with-ukraine-war-a-new-great-game-in-central-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/193932\/","title":{"rendered":"China “Intrudes” In Russia’s Backyard As Moscow Remains Occupied With Ukraine War; A New Great Game In Central Asia?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two months after hosting the First Central Asia-European Union (CA-EU) Summit in Samarkand, the five Central Asian states\u2014Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan \u2014 are hosting the second China-Central Asia Summit, underscoring the growing importance of this region in Eurasian geopolitics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The summit kicked off in Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 16 and is attended by President Xi Jinping. This is Jinping\u2019s second trip to the region in under a year. Incidentally, Jinping also presided over the first China-Central Asia Summit in 2023 in Xi\u2019an, China.<\/p>\n

Jinping\u2019s frequent trips to the region underscore the growing importance China is giving to this strategic region, often considered Russia\u2019s backyard, as Moscow remains occupied with its war in Ukraine, now running in its fourth year.<\/p>\n

The China-EU Rivalry In Central Asia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notably, the China-Central Asia Summit comes just two months after the first-ever Central Asia-European Union (CA-EU) Summit<\/a> in Samarkand in April this year. During the summit, the EU committed to investing 12 billion euros (approximately US$13.6 billion) in Central Asian infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Specific allocations included \u20ac3 billion (approximately USD 3.47 billion) for transport, \u20ac6.4 billion (approximately USD 7.40 billion) for energy projects, and \u20ac100 million (approximately USD 115.56 billion) for satellite internet development, aiming to connect over 2,000 schools and 1,700 villages in Central Asia.<\/p>\n

The EU and Central Asian leaders also agreed to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership.<\/p>\n

A key focus of the summit was the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), aimed at reducing cargo transit time between Europe and Central Asia to 15 days, thereby bypassing Russia. The EU committed \u20ac10 billion (USD 11.56 billion) to this corridor, with plans for a 2025 Investors\u2019 Forum in Uzbekistan to further develop it.<\/p>\n

Through these investment proposals, the EU sent a clear message that it is an important player in the region that can not be ignored.<\/p>\n

The Second China-Central Asia Summit<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the second China-Central Asia summit, following China\u2019s hosting of the first summit in 2023 in Xi\u2019an.<\/p>\n

The summit in Astana brings together Xi, who arrived in the Kazakh capital on Monday, and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.<\/p>\n

Under Russia\u2019s orbit until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the five countries of Central Asia have courted interest from major powers, including China and the United States, since gaining independence.<\/p>\n

The region is rich in natural resources and strategically located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n

In a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on June 17, Xi called for the two countries to \u201cscale up trade and investment and expand cooperation in emerging sectors\u201d, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.<\/p>\n

The two sides should \u201cadvance high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and foster new drivers of growth in clean energy, green minerals and artificial intelligence\u201d, Xi reportedly said.<\/p>\n

In talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Xi said Beijing \u201cfirmly supports Tajikistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and security\u201d, according to Xinhua.<\/p>\n

The Chinese leader also held talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, according to Beijing\u2019s state media.<\/p>\n

While Central Asian leaders continue to view Russia as a strategic partner, ties with Moscow have loosened since the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

The five nations are capitalizing on the growing interest in their region and coordinating their foreign policies.\u00a0They regularly hold summits with China and Russia to present the region as a unified bloc and attract investment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe countries of the region are balancing between different centres of power, wanting to protect themselves from excessive dependence on one partner,\u201d Kyrgyz political scientist Nargiza Muratalieva told AFP.<\/p>\n

\"\"Chinese President Xi Jinping (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV \/ POOL \/ AFP)
\nChina Biggest Trade Partner Of The Region<\/strong><\/p>\n

Russia says China\u2019s growing influence in the region does not pose a threat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no reason for such fears. China is our privileged strategic partner, and the countries of Central Asia, naturally, are our natural historical partners,\u201d Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.<\/p>\n

But China has now established itself as Central Asia\u2019s leading trading partner, far outstripping the EU and Russia.<\/p>\n

Central Asia is also an important target for China in its Belt and Road initiative \u2014 which uses huge infrastructure investments as a political and diplomatic lever.<\/p>\n

Construction of the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway and the China-Tajikistan highway, which runs through the Pamir Mountains to Afghanistan, are among the planned investments.<\/p>\n

New border crossings and \u201cdry ports\u201d have already been established to facilitate trade, such as Khorgos in Kazakhstan, one of the world\u2019s largest logistics hubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither Russia nor Western institutions are capable of allocating financial resources for infrastructure so quickly and on such a large scale, sometimes bypassing transparent procedures,\u201d said Muratalieva.<\/p>\n

Kazakhstan announced last week that Russia would lead the construction of its first nuclear power plant, but it also expressed interest in having China build the second.<\/p>\n

\u201cCentral Asia is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, uranium, gold, and other minerals that the rapidly developing Chinese economy needs,\u201d Muratalieva said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnsuring uninterrupted supplies of these resources, bypassing unstable sea routes, is an important goal of Beijing,\u201d the analyst added.<\/p>\n

Tectonic Shifts In Central Asian Geopolitics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Central Asia is fast emerging as the centre of a new Great Game between Russia, China, Turkey, and the EU, for influence in the strategically important region.<\/p>\n

The region is rich in natural resources and lies at the crossroads of Europe, China, Russia, and West Asia. The region is also central to China\u2019s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.<\/p>\n

However, the region has been shaped by diverse historical, cultural, and religious influences.<\/p>\n

Most Central Asian countries have deep linguistic, ethnic, religious, and cultural connections with Turkey.<\/p>\n

In the 19th\u00a0century, as Imperial Russia expanded southwards in Central Asia, these countries gradually came under the influence of Tsarist Russia. Following Turkey\u2019s defeat in the First World War, the end of the Ottoman Empire, and the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917, these countries joined the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n

However, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, these autonomous republics within the Soviet Union declared independence.<\/p>\n

Due to this history, Russia and Turkey have a significant influence in the region. In the 21st century, China emerged as a new player in this region. China\u2019s interests were multi-fold. Beijing sought to harness the region\u2019s enormous natural resources for its industries and tap the vast hydrocarbon potential of Central Asia to meet its ever-growing energy needs.<\/p>\n

Beijing also sought to capitalize on the geostrategic location of these countries at the crossroads between Asia and Europe for its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Central Asia is a key region for the success of China\u2019s USD 1.75 trillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project.<\/p>\n

Turkey, Russia, and China also established multilateral platforms to enhance their diplomatic influence in Central Asia.<\/p>\n

Russia established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 1991, a loose grouping of 12 former Soviet Republics, including the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n

China established the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2001 with Russia and the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The organization currently has 10 members.<\/p>\n

Turkey established the Organization of Turkic States in 2009 to promote cooperation among Turkic-speaking countries. It comprises five member states: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, T\u00fcrkiye, and Uzbekistan. Observer status is granted to Turkmenistan, Hungary, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.<\/p>\n

The European Union (EU) is a relatively new player in Central Asian geopolitics. Following the Russia-Ukraine war and US President Donald Trump\u2019s return to the White House, the EU is trying to formulate an independent foreign policy to counter Russia and China\u2019s rising influence and balance the US\u2019s strategic withdrawal from Europe.<\/p>\n

The EU-Central Asia summit in April this year was the first significant step in that direction.<\/p>\n