China is emerging as a much stronger player in the Central Asian region, with the support of Russian resources. Central Asian states may exploit this Sino-Russian rapprochement in order to advance their own goals, receiving security and funding from Moscow and Beijing, while not being required to change political regimes.

China’s investment in Central Asian energy and transportation is impressively promoting regional integration. There is still a degree of fear and caution from Central Asian leadership due to incomprehension of Beijing’s foreign policy goals, a historical legacy of confrontation, and the sensitivity of Moscow to recognize the importance of Beijing’s role.

Strained relations between the Uyghur community in Xinjiang and the Chinese government have led to increasing instability, which hinders China’s larger goals to increase trade with Central Asia and the Middle East. China's New Silk Road strategy may provide an opportunity for the CCP and Uyghur leaders to strike an uneasy bargain, albeit one that can halt the cycle of repression and retaliatory violence.

From Beijing to Washington, those observing events in Central Asia knew that 2014 serves as a pivotal year. Stemming largely from the drawdown of the Internatio