Today, the leaders of the five former Soviet republics are welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of the China-Central Asia Summit, which will be held May 18-19 in the city of Xi’an, Shaanxi province in central China.

“China is trying to strengthen its ties in Russia’s backyard in Central Asia,” Reuters reported, noting that this is the first meeting between the leaders of the former Soviet republics in Central Asia and Chinese leadership in all of Chinese territory.

“There are still areas where the governments of China and Russia are vying for influence, and the democracies in Central Asia are a clear example,” notes the Eurasia Network Gzero website in its own analysis.

Xi Jinping’s side will host leaders in Xi’an on May 18-19 Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan And Kyrgyzstan. “These are all former Soviet republics, but they are also big recipients of Chinese investment. […] None of these Central Asian countries want to become overly dependent on trade ties with Russia, given the cost of the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions affecting Russia’s economic future.

“President Xi Jinping is expected to discuss deepening economic and security ties with his counterparts in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, former Soviet republics that analysts say are in need of alternative sources of investment now that Moscow has concentrated focus on the war in Ukraine,” Reuters reports.

However, the one connected with Sino-Russian relations is also indicative. statement what Henry Kissinger did a few days ago in The Economist:I have never met a Russian leader who has anything good to say about China. And I have never met a Chinese leader who would say anything good about Russia…”

According to Reuters, Gzero