Russia is losing influence in Central Asia as China's presence and investment in the region grows. Over 600,000 Chinese migrants move to resource-rich areas in Russia's Far East each year. Chinese firms have also taken over mines in Mongolia and Xinjiang and Tibet, which China occupied decades ago for their mineral wealth. While developing infrastructure, China's growing economic and political power in Central Asia threatens Russia's role as the dominant regional power.

1. By: Cory Schiefer

2.  Russia slowly finds its self turning into a greater extension of China
 Every year roughly 600,000 Chinese migrate north to the eastern side of Russia because of
how mineral rich Siberia and Far East Russia are
 The Chinese take advantage of that fact and send lumber and other products to China
across the Pacific Ocean
 Chinese are flocking to Mongolia which sits in between China and Russia
 Mongolia is known for their gold mines which made them the modern day gold rush
country
 Chinese firms have taken over the Gobi Desert’s mineral deposits and Chinese workers
work the mines, which provide 70% of the country’s exports
 Russia most likely won’t be able to continue in its present form

3.  In 1907 China, with the help of Great Britain financing China, recaptured what is known
today as Xinjiang and Tibet (Xizang)
 China mainly took these two countries over for the fact they carry so much minerals
 Tibet is full of timber, uranium, and gold and Xinjiang holds the country’s largest oil, gas,
coal, uranium, and gold deposits
 Because of China’s presence, whether the locals like it or not, they are being lifted of their
third world
 China is adding roads, telephone lines, hospitals, and jobs to both third world countries
 China has spent billions of dollars on development projects in Tibet, hoping to conciliate
the Tibetans for the fact they took them over
 Chinese have built new houses for the Tibetans, the cities now lack the once symbolized
cultural authenticity they had
 The fact that Xinjiang is a Muslim community, China started burning Korans and destroying
mosques which lead to a violent clash. China realized that no peaceful Muslim community
would come out of this so China has been trying more subtle ways without starting riots

4.  Kazakhstan which is considered an energy power house is being fought over by all
superpowers for their six hundred billion barrels of oil which they are sitting on
 Russia feel that they are the protectors of Kazakhstan but the Kazakhs feel that they are
just another player in the game for oil
 Even though Russia is right above Kazakhstan, China is to the east and also wants the oil
 Although China doesn’t impinge with overt aggression, China already takes resources from
Kazakhstan
 Every year China has been siphoning two billion cubic yards of water annually from two
rivers that flow to Kazakhstan
 Although Kazakhstan use to be considered a threat to all nations, weapons wise,
Kazakhstan has now turned a new leaf and has turned their nuclear weapon plants into
food processing plants
 They have also decided to use their large uranium reserves for safe nuclear energy. They
returned all of their nuclear material to Russia and are now pushing for a nuclear free zone
in all of Central Asia

5.  Although most people assume that all countries with the ending “stan” are terrorist
countries, Uzbekistan was not
 In fact, Uzbekistan was recruited as the frontline American ally to support operations soon
after 9/11
 Although five years later political breakdown happened within the country creating
controversy
Sharing borders with Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, two of the countries that give
the “stan” countries a bad rep, are the birthplace of the Taliban
 They too have joined in the Great Game for oil
 At the moment though China is winning the Great Game because they are building the new
Silk Road by preserving buffer states and allies

6.  The Second World by Parag Khanna