China's Xi meets Central Asian leaders, calls for trade, energy development
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has promised to build more railway and other trade links with Central Asia and proposed jointly developing oil and gas sources at a meeting with the region’s leaders that highlighted Beijing’s growing influence BEIJING -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised to build more railway and other trade links with Central Asia and proposed jointly develop ing oil and gas sources at a meeting Friday with the region’s leaders that highlighted Beijing’s growing i NFL uence. The two-day China-Central Asia Summit in the western city of Xi’an came as President Joe Biden and other leaders of the Group of Seven major economies met in Japan. It reflected Beijing's efforts to develop trade and security networks centered on China, which resents U.S. domination of global affairs. China is making economic inroads into Central Asia, including with its Belt and Road Initiative to build railways and other trade-related infrastructure. That has eroded Russian influence over forme...