Was there ever even any doubt? Russia's right next door to these places - the US cannot equal Russia's economic influence in the Central Asian region without a massive reorientation of our economy. The US is a maritime nation who carries on a great deal of trade with other maritime nations throughout the world. Central Asia is a distant, landlocked piece of real estate with a minimal market for American consumer goods, and is only strategic in respect to the American position in Afghanistan. Once the US reduces its presence there, the importance of Central Asia falls off.
The two players in the Central Asian game right now are Russia and China, both of whom are close enough to wield enormous economic pressures that the US simply cannot match at this point. Russia has the home ground advantage in terms of basing and inroads into economic structure, China has the money. India can't decide whether it's playing or not. The US was never more than a spoiler that the countries of Central Asia used to further their own ends.
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Date: 18/10/12 15:26 (UTC)The two players in the Central Asian game right now are Russia and China, both of whom are close enough to wield enormous economic pressures that the US simply cannot match at this point. Russia has the home ground advantage in terms of basing and inroads into economic structure, China has the money. India can't decide whether it's playing or not. The US was never more than a spoiler that the countries of Central Asia used to further their own ends.