Xi works to cement Beijing's ties with Central Asia during Kazakhstan visit

Open this photo in gallery: Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, right, welcomes China’s President Xi Jinping upon his arrival at the airport in Astana on June 16, in this photo supplied by Kazakhstan’s Presidential Press Service.Kazakhstan’s Presidential Press Service/AFP/Getty Images Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Kazakhstan this week, working to cement Beijing's ties with the resource-rich country and continuing diplomatic outreach to Central Asia, which has seen China increasingly challenge Russia as the region's dominant player. On Tuesday, Mr. Xi met privately with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the sidelines of a summit in Astana,…