China’s Central Asia pledges made with eye on both US and Moscow, analysts say
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Kazakhstan trip seen as paving the way for likely state visit by President Xi Jinping later in the year
- Efforts to rally support from Central Asia seek to counter US influence as well as help an embattled Russia, observer says
Wang, who began a four-day tour to Kazakhstan on Monday, is also expected to attend a group meeting with the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian nations, all former Soviet republics – the fifth being Tajikistan.
Wang’s visit comes a few months after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s virtual meeting with Central Asian diplomats in late February.
Observers say his trip is likely to pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected state visit to Kazakhstan – a key Moscow ally- in September, followed by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan, in what is likely to be the first time China’s top leader would leave the country since a visit to Myanmar in January 2020.
Wang lavished praise on Kazakhstan during his meeting with Tokayev, describing the country as “a friendly neighbour and permanent comprehensive strategic partner”, while promising to increase Chinese investment there.