From Deutsche Welle:
The violence that erupted on Friday between Kyrgyz and Uzbek clans may have been ignited by the escalating tensions between the country’s two dominant ethnic groups but the conditions for the fighting have been created by the on-going unstable political situation in Kyrgyzstan; a situation that has the fingerprints of the world’s most influential nations all over it.
Kyrgyzstan’s wider role in international affairs is such that Russia and the United States continue to jostle for military influence there while China, which shares a 530-mile border with Kyrgyzstan, pursues significant strategic and economic interests in the country and its surrounding region. The struggle for influence between these powers have covertly shaped Kyrgyzstan’s unruly political landscape for over decade.
See also: “MOC advises Chinese companies tread carefully in southern Kyrgyzstan” and “China sends chartered plane to bring home nationals in Kyrgyzstan” from Xinhua. Also, from ChinaGeeks: “Discussion Section: Should China Send Troops to Kyrgyzstan?“
