BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met virtually with leaders from five Central Asian countries on Tuesday to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, as Beijing rushes to counter Moscow's growing sway in the region.
Xi told the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan that China will "firmly support them safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity," according to the Xinhua News Agency. The comment appeared to be an implicit jab at the idea of reviving the old Soviet Union, purported to be a goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
