In Bishkek, US envoys shadow the SCO summit in challenge on Beijing and Moscow’s turf

As China and Russia rallied dozens of countries in Bishkek to shape a multipolar world order, Washington’s envoys were splitting the spotlight by meeting several Central Asian presidents in the Kyrgyz capital this week. The manoeuvring showed that the US was likely to continue its outreach to the region and seek to blunt Beijing’s influence, but it would be “unrealistic” for Washington to force Central Asian countries to choose sides, according to a leading Chinese analyst. US Senator Steve...