Opinion | As US and China turn their eyes to Central Asia, Russia loses out

As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Moscow has lost much of its influence in Central Asia. In the coming months and years, the United States is expected to expand its presence in this strategically important region. But given that China has developed close economic ties with regional actors, how does Beijing view Washington’s ambitions? Although Western media paid more attention to the White House summit, the forum in Xinjiang’s capital showed that Beijing does not intend to back down amid growing US engagement with Central Asia. Following the Urumqi event, the China-Central Asia Construction 2025 Ministerial Conference was…