{"id":1205333,"date":"2022-01-10T16:05:50","date_gmt":"2022-01-10T21:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1205333"},"modified":"2022-01-10T16:06:18","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T21:06:18","slug":"china-worries-kazakhstan-chaos-will-hinder-its-belt-and-road-ambitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-worries-kazakhstan-chaos-will-hinder-its-belt-and-road-ambitions\/","title":{"rendered":"China Worries Kazakhstan Chaos Will Hinder Its \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 Ambitions"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchina-worries-kazakhstan-chaos-will-hinder-its-belt-and-road-ambitions%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1205333&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\"><span>China offered increased \u201claw enforcement and security\u201d support for Kazakhstan on Sunday, to help it suppress the remainder of the protest movement that broke out on January 1 and was brutally crushed with Russian military assistance over the weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Chinese state media fretted that unrest in Kazakhstan could imperil Beijing\u2019s ambitions to dominate the region through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure project.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Large political demonstrations are rare in authoritarian Kazakhstan, but <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2022\/01\/06\/kazakhstan-chaos-reports-of-riots-beheadings-as-russia-sends-troops\/\"><span>massive protests<\/span><\/a><span> broke out after fuel prices were doubled by the government on January 1.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The price increase opened the floodgates for Kazakhs \u2013 especially those living in poor rural areas who flocked to cities to participate in demonstrations \u2013 to vent numerous other pent-up frustrations, including challenges to the legitimacy of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, who still exercises enormous power behind the scenes.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19410290\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/wi\/ap\/08\/kazakhstan-protests-car-burned-clashes-is-street-almaty-kazakhstan-friday-jan-2022-kaza.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19410290 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/kazakhstan-protests-car-burned-clashes-is-street-almaty-kazakhstan-friday-jan-2022-kaza-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Associated Press\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>A car, which was burned after clashes, is seen on a street in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. (AP Photo\/Vasily Krestyaninov)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>The protests turned violent as demonstrators vandalized government buildings. Tokayev called in help from Russia and the regional Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) military alliance. A large number of Russian troops were quickly deployed in Kazakhstan, raising fears in the United States and Europe of human rights violations.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_19411914\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/wi\/ap\/08\/kazakhstan-protests-handout-photo-released-by-russian-defense-ministry-press-service-belarusian.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19411914 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/kazakhstan-protests-handout-photo-released-by-russian-defense-ministry-press-service-belarusian-1024x585-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Associated Press\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Belarusian peacekeepers leave a Russian military plane at an airfield in Kazakhstan, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Those fears appear to have been well-founded, as Kazakh authorities on Sunday <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/kazakhstan-164-killed-in-last-weeks-protests\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> 164 people were killed during the riots, including three children. Tokayev <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2022\/01\/07\/u-n-human-rights-council-member-kazakhstan-orders-protesters-shot-without-warning\/\"><span>gave<\/span><\/a><span> his forces shoot-to-kill orders on Friday.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Kazakhstan was recently elected to the U.N. Human Rights council, but the organization has been silent on the use of force against demonstrators. The U.N., however, did <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rferl.org\/a\/kazakhstan-troops-un-helmets\/31647393.html\"><span>express<\/span><\/a><span> \u201cconcerns\u201d<\/span><span>&nbsp;Monday because some of the heavily-armed soldiers deployed on the streets of Kazakhstan\u2019s largest city Almaty wore blue U.N. peacekeeper helmets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>China also offered assistance to its neighbor Kazakhstan, an offer <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/china-offers-kazakhstan-security-support-opposes-external-forces-2022-01-10\/\"><span>reiterated<\/span><\/a><span>&nbsp;Monday even as Tokayev declared victory over the \u201ccoup.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cRecent turmoil in Kazakhstan shows that the situation in Central Asia is still facing severe challenges, and it once again proves that some external forces do not want peace and tranquility in our region,\u201d the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, echoing Tokayev\u2019s claim that the protests were a coup attempt organized by Western powers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his opposite number in Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, during a phone call on Monday that China would stand with Tokayev\u2019s government to \u201cjointly oppose the interference and infiltration of any external forces.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Chinese dictator Xi Jinping on Friday offered his support to Tokayev against what Xi described as a \u201ccolor revolution\u201d \u2013 a euphemism for Western powers allegedly seeking to destabilize authoritarian regimes by fomenting protests under the guise of human rights activism.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19148010\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1235599353.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19148010\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1235599353.png\" alt=\"Chinese President Xi Jinping sings the national anthem during a reception at the Great Hall of the People on the eve of China&#039;s National Day in Beijing on September 30, 2021. (Photo by GREG BAKER \/ AFP) (Photo by GREG BAKER\/AFP via Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Chinese President Xi Jinping sings the national anthem during a reception at the Great Hall of the People on the eve of China\u2019s National Day in Beijing on September 30, 2021. (GREG BAKER\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Russian President Vladimir Putin used the same rhetorical framework on Monday when he <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/kazakhstan-detains-7939-people-over-unrest-2022-01-10\/\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> Russian troops helped Tokayev suppress an uprising orchestrated by foreign powers.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_19299626\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2021\/12\/wi\/ap\/29\/russia-putin-russian-president-vladimir-putin-attends-meeting-videoconference-at-konstantin.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19299626 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/russia-putin-russian-president-vladimir-putin-attends-meeting-videoconference-at-konstantin-1024x682-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Associated Press\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting via videoconference at the Konstantin Palace presidential residence in Strelna, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cOf course, we understand the events in Kazakhstan are not the first and far from the last attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of our states from the outside. The measures taken by the CSTO have clearly shown we will not allow the situation to be rocked at home,\u201d Putin said in a virtual conference with other CSTO members.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>International analysts suspected China is nervous about allowing any democratic uprising along its borders to succeed, because Chinese dissidents might be inspired to rise up against the Communist regime.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>China\u2019s state-run <\/span><i><span>Global Times<\/span><\/i> <span>on Sunday <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/page\/202201\/1245475.shtml\">voiced<\/a> a more immediate concern, namely that unrest in Kazakhstan and other former satellites of the Soviet Union could interfere with \u201cChina\u2019s economic and trade cooperation,\u201d especially its Belt and Road infrastructure project.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Opinion: Given the importance of Kazakhstan to China&#8217;s Belt and Road Initiative and its energy imports, it is essential for China to offer Kazakhstan necessary support and to coordinate security affairs with neighboring countries. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mO47rniqbY\">https:\/\/t.co\/mO47rniqbY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Global Times (@globaltimesnews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/globaltimesnews\/status\/1480253038187233280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 9, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cGiven the importance of Kazakhstan to China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative and its energy imports, the Central Asian state\u2019s stability represents a high stakes issue for China, it is essential for China to not only offer Kazakhstan necessary support to help it restore order but also take this opportunity to actively coordinate security and stability affairs with neighboring countries,\u201d the <\/span><i><span>Global Times <\/span><\/i><span>wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The <\/span><i><span>Global Times<\/span><\/i><span> explained Kazakhstan is a major regional transportation hub, including for gas and oil shipments. China\u2019s investments in Kazakhstan surged by 44 percent to $580 million last year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMoreover, China-Kazakhstan cooperation is also of strategic significance to the economic development of the Xinjiang region. China has long hoped that Kazakhstan, the first stop on China\u2019s Silk Road Economic Belt, could extend its influence and boost Xinjiang\u2019s connectivity,\u201d the Chinese Communist paper added ominously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Xinjiang is the home of the oppressed Uyghur Muslims, who have been herded into concentration camps and sold as forced labor by the brutal Chinese government. The <\/span><i><span>Global Times <\/span><\/i><span>article indicated China sees Kazakhstan as part of a transportation network that could help China evade <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/biden-law-banning-imports-from-chinas-xinjiang-over-uyghur-forced-labor\/\"><span>Western sanctions<\/span><\/a><span> against its slave labor camps. Conversely, Beijing is clearly worried that a successful uprising in Kazakhstan could prompt similar unrest in Xinjiang.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There are some indications Tokayev used the protests as cover to move against his mentor Nursultan Nazarbayev, the 81-year-old former Soviet strongman who retained considerable influence in the government despite turning the presidency over to Tokayev in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Tokayev <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/kazakhstan-says-strategic-facilities-under-guard-after-unrest-2022-01-09\/\"><span>fired<\/span><\/a><span> two more top security officials linked to Nazarbayev on Sunday, and the terminated individuals seem to have disappeared \u2013 along with Nazarbayev himself. The president\u2019s office responded to rumors of a power play by insisting Nazarbayev and Tokayev are still on \u201cthe same side of the barricades.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>China offered increased \u201claw enforcement and security\u201d support for Kazakhstan on Sunday, to help it suppress the remainder of the protest movement that broke out on January 1 and was &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1205333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1205333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1205333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1205333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1205333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1205333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1205333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}