Li’s Silk Road Trip Marks China’s Advance on Russia’s Patch
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Premier Li Keqiang is on the road, the Silk Road, to Kazakhstan this week as China seeks to increase its sway in a region long dominated by Russia.
Li’s trip is the first by a top Chinese official to any country on the ancient trade route since last month’s announcement of a $40 billion Silk Road Fund to finance the building of infrastructure to link markets across Asia. Li arrived in Astana yesterday and was met by Prime Minister Karim Massimov. Li yesterday signed cooperation agreements worth $14 billion during the trip, according to the website of China’s State Council.