Russian concern about growing Chinese influence in the former Soviet Union and particularly Central Asia is increasing. Putin’s desire to form a new Eurasian Union is an effort by Moscow  to reassert authority over its old dominions.
 The core of  Kremlin’s concerns is the slow but steady progress of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. In the last 10 years the S.C.O. has evolved into something different from what it was created. Now it is honing in on regional development.
 Russia feels  like a junior partner in the S.C.O. Using its money, China has secured energy contracts, and infrastructure. Beijing  has also established Confucius Institutes to teach Chinese in all the Central Asian states. Growing numbers of Central Asian students can be found at Chinese Universities.

 Article – Raffaello Pantucci, Alexandros Petersen – New York Times