With Kazakhstan expecting its first recession since 1998, the president has called for early parliamentary elections in the hopes that he can reaffirm the government’s mandate before things deteriorate too much. Kazakhstan is important to keep an eye on because, behind the domestic headlines, the country is fast becoming a battleground for a fight between Russia and China over who will have greater influence in Central Asia. Over the past decade, Kazakhstan has been exporting more and more oil to China, and the countries have also been cooperating rather closely on defense. As The Diplomat explains, China’s growing influence in …read more
Source: The American Interest
