虽然中国正在成为东亚和东南亚地区的关注焦点，在那里的经济存在和外交影响力与日俱增，但它也在静悄悄地增加着自己在中亚地区的存在感，而这一地区曾经主要是俄罗斯的地盘。中国将军刘亚洲说，中亚是上天给予当代中国的最厚一片蛋糕。 ' T+ z' }$ [1 e; ~! w1 N3 R- x; D. @ 9 H0 u! n4 [/ l0 H# k2 F
A new customs compound is to open this year on the outskirts of Murghab. It will help speed the flow of Chinese goods.2 F' x" P4 j+ O5 b {/ X I9 d- O
7 w% V# ~! S$ V) yCentral Asia, says Gen. Liu Yazhou of the People’s Liberation Army, is “the thickest piece of cake given to the modern Chinese by the heavens.” + ~/ ?. _: N2 y! X% D
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Kyrgyz shepherds in Tajikistan packed a Chinese solar panel. Chinese goods like clothing, electronics and appliances have lately flooded Central Asia.% s8 v9 l2 w* k# K# Y3 e; d9 l. A
7 r2 w6 I5 a4 ^% H3 A , Q8 f3 @: K% j1 H1 zChinese merchants have set up shops inside containers at a market in Kyrgyzstan, selling items like DVD players and stuffed animals. 7 Q0 ~% K2 d9 C4 U! Y' ~ ! C& Y$ Y" N' N. R5 [$ M+ u; k1 ^2 U0 Y7 C4 b
Chinese workers building a road on the Kyrgyz side of a key pass between China and Kyrgyzstan, which until independence in 1991 was part of the Soviet Union. , ?) ]9 [" @* z* V/ ~
' S" T! H% e0 Z, d; V * V8 V4 \; s: h& v9 qStudents learning Mandarin at a Confucius Institute in Kazakhstan. China has opened several of the institutes to teach Mandarin in cities throughout Central Asia.
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