TOKYO — Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to meet counterparts from Central Asian countries in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, aiming to expand Beijing’s economic and geopolitical influence in the region against a backdrop of U.S. tensions and spiraling international conflicts.
Held in the Kazakh capital of Astana, China’s second summit with the landlocked region is expected to focus on a wide range of cooperation, from deepening trade through road and rail connectivity to infrastructure development, energy and institution-building. Looming over the discussions, though, will be two nearby hot wars — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the unfolding Israel-Iran clash.
