According to a report by the Hong Kong 'South China Morning Post' on October 15, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo is scheduled to visit Central Asia. A senior U.S. official stated that as China's influence in this region continues to grow, the United States hopes to engage in 'competition' in the resource-rich region of Central Asia.
U.S. Ambassador to India and U.S. Special Envoy for South Asia and Central Asia, Sergio Gor, stated in New Delhi on 15th of this month that the “C5+1” ministerial meeting between the United States and five Central Asian countries will be held in Uzbekistan this weekend, providing an opportunity to showcase "U.S. innovation capacity and U.S. technology".
These countries possess extremely rich key mineral resources, but they have yet to be fully developed. Gore introduced this during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, stating that representatives from over 200 American companies will join Rubin as they visit to explore potential for collaboration.
Gore said: "Collaborating with American companies is a win-win situation. Central Asia has the richest mineral reserves, and these countries are also looking for reliable and trustworthy partners. We believe that American companies can provide the solutions they need."
Therefore, for us, we hope to participate in competition." Gol said.
Although he did not directly name China, China has already been deeply involved in Central Asian mining. The United States is now trying to expand its influence in this field.
Gore added, "These countries are sovereign nations, and they will decide for themselves what is in their best interest. But we sincerely believe that we possess the most advanced technology, and it is extremely important for this government to showcase this technology to this region."
It is expected that Rubio will hold talks with the ministers of foreign affairs from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, to discuss issues such as deepening regional economic connectivity and strengthening energy security.
The US State Department stated on the 14th that Rubio will also meet with other senior officials from the five Central Asian countries, “to usher in a new era of strengthened commercial cooperation between the United States and Central Asia”.
The "C5+1" mechanism was established in 2015 and serves as the main platform for collective dialogue and cooperation between the United States and the five Central Asian countries. In recent years, this mechanism has been expanded to include leader-level meetings. In November 2025, U.S. President Trump hosted leaders from the five Central Asian countries at the White House.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Central Asia has a significant global reserve of various important minerals, including manganese, titanium, and cobalt. These minerals are crucial for the AI, electric vehicle, and clean energy industries.
In the context of increasing competition with China in the United States, Washington has significantly increased its strategic investments and economic and trade involvement in Central Asia.
Gore said on the 15th that the United States has "ignored this region for a long time." "Everyone's attention is focused on the Middle East, and everyone pays attention to the East. Honestly, these outstanding countries located between them have never received any active contact from the United States. This is not a party issue. These countries located in the intermediate zone indeed hope to cooperate with the United States."
Reports indicate that in order to demonstrate Washington’s renewed emphasis on Central Asia, Trump has invited leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December this year. This is a first for Central Asian countries.
According to the itinerary announced by the US Department of State on October 13, after visiting Central Asia, Rubio will travel to Mumbai and Jaipur in India next week to meet with senior Indian government officials and business leaders. Discussions will focus on topics such as the U.S-India strategic partnership, energy cooperation, and investment.
