“Our summit marked the beginning of new, wonderful relations between the United States and Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan,” Trump commented.
Kaktus.media inquired about the opinion of analyst and political scientist Kalnur Ormushev regarding the significance of this summit and the interests pursued by the USA.
- In the modern world, trade and economic conflicts can be viewed as imperialist wars for resources and markets. The USA and the West are trying to push Russia out, which has lost important markets and logistical routes for its energy. America has already conquered the lucrative European market.
China and India are also seeking access to Russia's wealth, especially in Siberia.
The current struggle for the redistribution of raw material markets has brought leading powers to Central Asia. Trump's invitation to the region's leaders and flattering words from both sides indicate that the summit participants recognize the importance and potential of future relations between our countries.
If the fate of the world is predetermined, it is not surprising that the USA's attention has once again turned to Central Asia, as in fairy tales where everything happens by divine will.
Thus, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's assessment that "Trump is given to us from above" has serious grounds. For Kazakhstan, which depends on raw material exports, the significance of the summit is hard to overestimate. Russia, itself busy exporting resources, is not interested in Kazakh raw materials. And China is tightening import conditions. Kazakhstan urgently needs to establish cooperation to access new markets and create processing enterprises.
Moreover, for Tokayev, who communicates with Russia and China in their languages, interaction with the US president may play an important role in the upcoming elections for the UN Secretary-General.Uzbekistan also demonstrated its significance on the international stage when Trump announced the USA's intention to invest about $135 billion in key sectors of the republic's economy.
The positions of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan showed that their leaders are aware of the influence of Russia and China, which significantly exceeds the role of the USA.The President of Turkmenistan, although the youngest among his colleagues, did not stand out, as the country remains an object of geopolitical games due to its gas reserves.
One of the reasons for the "C5+1" summit was China's dominance in the metals sector, which is used as a tool in the trade confrontation with the USA. In 2024, Chinese investments may exceed $21 billion, a record in 12 years.
The USA, the European Union, and Japan express concern about Chinese influence in the metals market, as the PRC produces more than half of the world's lithium, cobalt, and manganese. In 2023, China produced 69% of all rare earth metals, which is related to recent new agreements between the USA and Ukraine.
In response to Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing imposed restrictions on the export of tungsten and other metals, which also affects electronics and the military industry.
China is actively strengthening ties with African countries that could become leading lithium producers. To reduce dependence on China, the USA is striving to establish supply chains from Canada, Australia, and other countries.
Such a benevolent attitude from Trump towards Central Asia is explained by the possibility of diversifying supplies of resources necessary for the USA. For example, the suspension of antimony exports from China has increased its price several times, and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan can meet the demand for this metal.
Donald Trump is trying to strengthen the USA's influence in a region where China's "Belt and Road" initiative is actively being implemented. This could be the beginning of a new struggle for the Heartland and global leadership.
It should not be assumed that Russia will ultimately lose its position. Trump understands that Russia's defeat would pose a serious threat to the USA. If this happens, the wealth of Siberia will be quickly developed only by Russians or Chinese, as European and American specialists will not be able to work in harsh climate conditions.
China also understands the risks associated with a possible defeat of Russia, as this would leave it alone with the USA, which remains a powerful force in the world. The tense relations between Iran and Israel also highlight China's dependence on Iranian oil, which is supplied through Central Asia.
India realizes that Russia's defeat could lead to serious conflicts with China.Thus, the "C5+1" summit opened a new stage in the struggle for Central Asian resources, and Central Asian leaders must correctly assess the situation and choose the right course of action.
