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With the Kremlin Cat Away, So To Speak, Central Asian Mice Start To Play

It’s not your grandmother’s region, as Communist China makes inroads at the expense of Russia.

Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images
President Xi and Kazakhstan's president, Kassym Jomart Tokayev, at Beijing in 2019. Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images
JAMES BROOKE
JAMES BROOKE

While President Putin enjoyed a red carpet reception at Beijing last month, Communist Chinese diplomats quietly worked behind the scenes on a rail project designed to undermine Russian influence in Central Asia, Moscow’s turf for 150 years. 

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JAMES BROOKE
JAMES BROOKE

Mr. Brooke has traveled to about 100 countries reporting for the New York Times, Bloomberg, and Voice of America. He reported from Russia for eight years and from Ukraine for six years, coming home in 2021.

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