China Races to Reassert Influence in Central Asia After U.S. Summit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Kyrgyzstan as part of a three-country tour of Central Asia to reaffirm Beijing’s status as the region’s top trading partner following US diplomatic inroads at a high-profile summit in Washington earlier this month. US President Donald Trump hosted the five Central Asian presidents at the White House in early November for a summit focused on tapping into the region’s abundant and strategic critical mineral wealth. While not in the spotlight, China’s growing economic and political influence in Central Asia was in mind amid the Trump administration’s move to deepen ties to the region….