Pressure that both sides face from the United States and the West gives their partnership new depth.

Insights from Bonny Lin.

Without directly commenting, CENTOM told The Diplomat that “plans for shared military environments involving our partners in Kazakhstan are currently underway.” 

A great deal depends on how Kazakhstan recovers from the disorder and orients itself toward the changing international security terrain.

The two leaders reaffirmed the "no limits" friendship between China and Russia in their first in-person meeting since 2019 – but they notably danced around the topic of Ukraine.

China's BRI and agricultural needs led Beijing to seek partnership with Ukraine. Now Russia's military build-up has complicated those calculations.

In the mindscape of the U.S. strategic community, China now enjoys the position which the Soviet Union had during the Cold War. Moscow is keen to disrupt that emerging bipolar order.

The Russian-led CSTO military bloc has faced a critical test in the region.

A more integrated region will be richer, stabler, and more secure -- and countries won’t have to contemplate using their sovereignty as collateral.  

Tashkent reiterated its anti-CSTO sentiments and says it can independently control domestic issues if needed. 

Despite its economic clout in Kazakhstan, Beijing has had far less political leverage than Moscow.