China's President Xi Jinping has summoned a meeting with the leaders of former Soviet Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, in a move that is seen as a direct challenge to Russian influence in the region. It is unclear whether Turkmenistan has been invited to the meeting. The meeting took place during Xi's visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two nations pledged to deepen their cooperation. Analysts suggest that China is seeking to exploit its diplomatic and economic advantage over Russia by securing leverage in the region.

The former Soviet Central Asian states have been historically viewed as being in Russia's sphere of influence. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the former Soviet states becoming increasingly open in their defiance of the Kremlin. China has been building up its economic and security ties with these nations in recent years, given their abundant mineral resources and location on ancient trade routes between East and West.

The meeting with Central Asian nations occurred as part of Xi's three-day summit in Moscow, where he signaled continued Chinese backing for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Analysts suggest that China's move is an audacious power play in Russia's backyard, and it may not be welcomed by the Kremlin.