The Central Asia-China Summit closed in China on May 19 but Vladimir Putin was not invited, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) deliberately sidelining Russia, an important regional power.
The CCP hosted the five Central Asian countries in Xi’an, the starting point of the Silk Road, with a luxurious feast in the Tang Palace.
Invited to the summit where Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev where they received an extravagant welcome.
U.S.-based current affairs commentator Shi Shan told The Epoch Times on May 22 that the CCP highly valued this summit due to its importance to Beijing’s national security strategy….