Just as the United States has acquired a number of "allies" in the hope of looking after its various interests, so has China.

China's main interests are:

• Securing oil and gas supplies
• Preventing secession movements (Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet)
• Avoiding encirclement by US allies and bases

China's allies are the authoritarian states of the former Soviet Union in Central Asia, plus Russia. This grouping has been described as a "Club for autocrats and dictators" (see Guardian article).

The members are: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Observer members are: Iran, Mongolia, India, Pakistan.

Will this association of states become a military alliance in competition with the United States and its allies and satellites?

As a new version of the Great Game of the 19th century the US is in direct competition with China in some of these states, already having military bases in some of them - but notably having been ejected from Uzbekistan in 2005. The US and Europe have interests in the oil and gas being exported from these states.

China's rulers have no interest in promoting human rights and democracy (though there are no signs of the US protesting against the grotesque dictatorships in Central Asia).