China's Growing Influence in Central Asia: A Closer Look.

China is strengthening its position in Central Asia, a region long within the sphere of Russian influence, by boosting economic, political, and security relations. The first-ever China-Central Asia Summit brings together President Xi Jinping with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. For China, the biggest goal is to have the region strengthen its legitimacy over Xinjiang, the region that feeds the Chinese economy in terms of energy and raw material. The U.S. does not have the same level of motivation for its engagement in Central Asia, resulting in projects that cannot match what China does in the region.