China’s role in Central Asia is set to be a major focus as Xi Jinping attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek this week. The Monday-Tuesday meetings are expected to cover regional security, connectivity, energy, digital cooperation, Afghanistan and food security. Analysts said the summit will also test whether the SCO can move beyond diplomatic signalling as Beijing pushes a more multipolar Eurasian order. China-Central Asia trade reached a record $106 billion last year.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcoming ceremony at the Yntymak Ordo presidential residence in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 31. EPA-Yonhap
As Washington’s strategic focus shifts and energy and grain supply disruptions continue to unsettle the Middle East, Beijing’s expanding presence across Central Asia is expected to be in focus as Kyrgyzstan hosts the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit this week.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s presence in Bishkek is expected to put the spotlight on whether the increasingly diverse grouping can move beyond diplomatic signalling, according to analysts. The SCO’s 25th anniversary summit was also expected to offer crucial clues to Beijing’s ambitions for a more multipolar Eurasia at a time of shifting regional power dynamics, they said.
