China's Xi in Kazakhstan for state visit, SCO summit; Modi to skip annual huddle

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for a state visit, during which he will attend a meeting of Shanghai alliance nations in the Kazakh capital Astana. The nine-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which encompasses a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing, includes around half the world's population. While Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the Astana gathering, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to skip the annual huddle. CNA's Tan Yew Guan unpacks the significance of President Xi's visit to China's relations with Central Asia.