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May 19, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 5
network connecting China and Europe. Trains connecting 11 European cities with 27 Chinese cities pass through the dry port.
As Chinese investment continues to rise, there
is a general feeling among some Central Asian analysts that China is taking over as the regional leader and countries are gradually shifting their allegiance closer to China and away from Rus- sia. One such example is seen in Kazakhstan’s decision to adopt a Latin alphabet for the Kazakh
language – a prospect which has enraged Kremlin when it was suggested in the past.
Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan’s participation is also significant, as the former borders Afghanistan and Iran, whilst the latter connects China to Uzbeki- stan. In addition, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan have also been tightening their partnership with China in the recent years. Cooperation with Turk- menistan, for instance, has culminated in China becoming nearly the sole buyer of Turkmen gas.
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