Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia

The Hudson Institute Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East was honored to host Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) for a conversation with Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu on the strategic and economic importance of Central Asia.Central Asia is rapidly becoming one of the most important centers of global geopolitics. From August 30 to September 1, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, hosted an extraordinary convergence of world leaders surrounding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and the opening of the World Nomad Games. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and other regional leaders gathered in the capital, underscoring the intensifying competition for influence in Eurasia.The discussion explored how expanded US engagement in Central Asia can help counter China’s global economic influence, reduce Russia’s energy leverage over Europe, and strengthen access to critical resources.