Rubio pitches US business in Central Asia, avoids forcing China choice

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, proposed deepening US cooperation with five Central Asian states on minerals, transport, and technology, explicitly framing it as competition with China rather than demanding a break with Beijing. This marks a pragmatic US approach to countering Chinese influence in the region without escalating zero-sum rivalry. The outcome is uncertain as concrete proposals remain vague and regional governments balance US offers against deep Chinese economic ties.