Russia's Trade Rivalry With China in Central Asia is Heating Up

It seems that the Kremlin is having a hard time accepting that Russia is playing second fiddle to China when it comes to trade in Central Asia. The reluctance of Russian officials to acknowledge trade reality was on display at a late April trade fair, held in the Uzbek capital Tashkent. In a speech at the exhibition, Igor Kamynin, Russia’s deputy trade representative, claimed, at least in the case of Uzbekistan, that Russia and China were "equal partners with an equal share in trade turnover" in the eyes of Uzbek leaders, according to a TASS…