China seeking leading role in Central Asia - Kazakh site.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

China is seeking to become a dominating force in Central Asia in order to gain access to the region's vast oil reserves, a Kazakh web site has suggested. On the other hand, China wants to Central Asia to be stable as the region's problems may cross into China itself, the report argued. It also said that China was tense over the presence of US military bases in Central Asia. The following is an excerpt from the report entitled "China's oil interests in Central Asia" written by Oleg Sidorenko for Kazakhstan Today news agency web site and put out on 16 October. Subheadings have been inserted editorially

Some countries have become far more active in Central Asia over recent years. This may be attributed to the fact that the geopolitical situation has been changing in the region. At present, two powers - Russia and China - are emerging as hopefuls for assuming the leading role there.

China needs Central Asian oil

If Russia's stronger position in the region is largely put down to the change in the military and political situation, the expansion and strengthening of its positions and desire to push …