As China takes up slack in Central Asia, it can't help but undermine Russia

• China's military role in Central Asia will increasingly focus on arms sales, counterterrorism and bilateral initiatives outside the Russia- and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

• The country's regional security efforts will reflect the need to protect growing Chinese economic interests, including the Belt and Road Initiative.

• Beijing will promote Chinese language instruction in Central Asian countries to mitigate linguistic barriers and boost cooperation.

• China's military influence in the region will continue to trail behind Russia's but will ultimately weaken Moscow's presence in the long term.

https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/chinas-long-march-central-asia