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。+ L: u+ l" n- f* T; P v3 Q
7 g9 F# _7 j1 h ; d( M3 y- [2 P9 u) I9 l( ~A new customs compound is to open this year on the outskirts of Murghab. It will help speed the flow of Chinese goods.6 s! @2 v7 w) m) H( c$ T& u
, M5 w( `4 W1 R3 {
, {$ w7 R/ o. I9 i& g中国官员将中亚视为攸关中国能源安全、贸易扩张、民族稳定和国防利益的地区；中国的国有企业已深入中亚腹地建立起油气管道、铁路和高速公路，而中国政府则在中亚各国的首都建立起了孔子学院。当地人对中国在中亚影响力的扩张持谨慎态度，吉尔吉斯斯坦和哈萨克斯坦这两个地广人稀的国家尤其担心中国移民的涌入会破坏当地的经济平衡。. K) D w! s, j
`1 n2 x' C5 T9 f
Central 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.” 1 U/ |$ t8 Q6 ?, w" Z6 I* j8 r! G* Q
! l0 q% Y) C8 S% ^) R) B$ z @' B _ , T: }7 R! f& L1 Q, T
Kyrgyz shepherds in Tajikistan packed a Chinese solar panel. Chinese goods like clothing, electronics and appliances have lately flooded Central Asia. % W/ a/ p' k) g9 l, F8 x) O: Q6 H$ I3 Z' U! j F" { 1 `' G0 i. F8 N# [3 K
Chinese merchants have set up shops inside containers at a market in Kyrgyzstan, selling items like DVD players and stuffed animals.9 \! k& O- d8 X0 j! A2 f
H% ]' @) F' P! b) C8 ^ E 2 b! o8 J0 b: z! e! C+ `% |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. $ t4 i, u' S! J5 G: Z6 K 3 E7 L9 y6 I2 x' p1 K" \/ q7 j, N+ o" _! U; I I) f+ N: W
Students learning Mandarin at a Confucius Institute in Kazakhstan. China has opened several of the institutes to teach Mandarin in cities throughout Central Asia.
, T: }7 R! f& L1 Q, T
1 `' G0 i. F8 N# [3 K
, N+ o" _! U; I I) f+ N: W