0Medvedev's trip to Kazakhstan was apparently intended to send a message to both Beijing and the West that Moscow continues to see the former Soviet Central Asia as its home turf.02br
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00"Russia is worried by China's quiet expansion in Central Asia," said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs magazine. "Moscow has grown accustomed to viewing Central Asia as its backyard, but China doesn't share this view."02br
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01b01font00China02font02b02a00 already has won a01b
00 cut of the region's riches02b00, reaching an oil pipeline deal with Kazakhstan and negotiating a gas agreement with Turkmenistan.02br
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05000 02a02br
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00What's the meaning of "the region's riches"? Does it mean the rich resources?02br
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00Thanks!0250hrefhttp://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/23/china.russia.ap/index.html