China Remains Supportive Of Kazakhstan As Russia Ramps Up Rhetoric

Amid heightened tensions between Russia and Kazakhstan over the war in Ukraine, Astana is betting on high-level diplomacy to build international support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pope Francis’ visit on September 13 for a highly publicized global interreligious summit coincided with the first post-pandemic international trip of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who met with Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on September 14. The two leaders then took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) summit…