Posted on 09/15/2022 3:57:36 PM PDT by FarCenter
ALMATY -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan for a state visit on Wednesday, his first known trip abroad since COVID-19 exploded in January 2020.
Xi landed in Nur-Sultan, the Kazakh capital, in the afternoon, China's state media reported. A statement on Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's website offered few details but said the two sides discussed a range of cooperative projects.
It also quoted Xi making a strong statement in support of Kazakhstan -- one that seemed likely to resonate in the context of neighboring Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"No matter how the international situation changes, we will continue to resolutely support Kazakhstan in protecting its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, firmly support your ongoing reforms to ensure stability and development, and categorically oppose the interference of any forces in the internal affairs of your country," Xi was quoted as saying.
The choice to visit Kazakhstan itself has symbolic importance. This is where Xi launched the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, in the early days of his presidency. His trip appears aimed at signaling a return to "business as usual" after the pandemic disruptions, and at helping to cement Beijing's influence in the region.
From Kazakhstan, Xi is expected to move on to Uzbekistan for a summit of regional leaders on Thursday and Friday. There, a one-on-one meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin is thought to be in the cards.
The tour "will give [Xi] an opportunity to present China's foreign policy as unaffected by COVID-19 and to show that Beijing is now the dominant player in Central Asia," said Maximilian Hess, a fellow at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute.
(Excerpt) Read more at asia.nikkei.com ...
Never trust commies.
Kazakhstan is already its own country. What’s the point?
Nestled oh so uncomfortably between two giants.
So was Georgia, Ukraine.
From the US and NATO. Xi supports Russia keeping NATO and the US out of there.
I’ve seen recent News articles speculating Putin was going to Invade Kazakhstan, Ukraine style.
It looked like dumb media speculation and people trying to get paid for talking about stupid crap.
Cool. Now do Tibet. Oh, right.
Independent from everyone but China. Kazakhstan is key to China’s Belt and Road, and they have invested a huge amount there. Ethnic Russians have been migrating out of Kazakhstan for decades and the country has been drifting away from Russia anyway.
Nobody in their right mind actually believes that either the U.S. or NATO is a threat to the sovereignty of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan borders five countries: Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and China itself. Pretty obvious which of those country was the target of that warning.
Fruits of the Ukraine invasion debacle.
Those who have screamed bloody murder to get the U. S. to
stop being the global police will be happy to know that China
is willing to take that task on.
And so it begins. Russian republics’ Realignment from Russia to China. Good going Putin. Didn’t see that coming....
Turkey might have something to say about that.
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