On July 1 I wrote about the summit between Russia and China, in which they agreed to cooperate to exert their economic and political influence in the region between them; that is, Central Asia. Here is what I said:

Perhaps it isn????????t explicitly stated, but most of the concern for both countries in recent months has been in Central Asia, where we have seen an revolution in Kyrgyzstan and a massacre in Uzbekistan. This translates into increased interest by the United States in seeing liberal democracy take root, which in turn means less control by Moscow. As a huge regional power, Beijing is looking to put its hands in the cookie jar, so it is in the perfect position to aid Russia????????s interests while securing its own.

This will probably come about through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a little talked about ???????? and little used ???????? organization for, you guessed it, cooperation between Russia, China, and the states of Central Asia. It would be the perfect means already in place by which to cooperate and thus exert influence over these countries. That is not to say these this would be necessarily unwelcome. The dictators in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and onward are in a position where they want to preserve control and stability above all else.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization just met in Kazakhstan and they issued a statement demanding a deadline for pulling U.S. bases out of Central Asia.

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AFX) – The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a six-nation security bloc, called for a deadline to be set on the pull-out of Western bases from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and slammed outside interference in their affairs at a summit here today.

At the meeting in the Kazakh capital Astana, the SCO, which comprises Russia, China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, signed a declaration that called for deadlines to be set on the presence of military bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, set up in 2001 by the US-led coalition that toppled Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership.

‘Considering that the active phase of the military anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan has finished, member states… consider it essential that the relevant participants in the anti-terrorist coalition set deadlines for the temporary use’ of bases in Central Asia, the declaration read.

At their first meeting since the ouster of Kyrgyz leader Askar Akayev in March and a military crackdown in Uzbekistan in May, the leaders also included a clause on the inadmissibility of ‘monopolizing or dominating international affairs’ — apparently a reference to growing US influence in Central Asia.

‘This declaration calls for templates and standards not to be imposed by force, or the threat of force,’ Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

‘There should be no place for interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states,’ Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

Today’s declaration echoes a similar one on the ’21st century international order’ signed by Putin and Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Moscow last week.

It’s not just a demand of the American Left anymore. This is the regional power response to the increasing trend of popular revolt against oppressive regimes. Just as international pressure can be used to push for reform, so can it be used to maintain the status quo. In this case, both Russia and China are more concerned with preserving “stability” in the face of revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan.

Unfortunately, the United States only has limited influence in the region. Russia and China simply outdo the U.S. on all fronts, especially trade (due in large part to geography), which gives them much a larger degree of political importance. They know this, and they know that the biggest leverage the United States has is its military bases in the region. If the U.S. gets out, then Russia and China will move in further.

Kyrgyzstan would definitely be an anomoly in the region. It is trying to balance the competing interests of both the United States and Russia to its advantage while pursuing a new, post-revolutionary society. Roza Otunbayeva, the Kyrgyz foreign minister, sat down with the Globe And Mail and detailed how hard it is becoming to have independent views as a country in the region.

MOSCOW — The political climate of Central Asia has become so supportive of Uzbek President Islam Karimov that it’s impossible to criticize the killing of protesters in Andijan, the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister says.

In an interview, Roza Otunbayeva suggested that she doesn’t necessarily share the opinion of the leaders of Russia, China and Central Asian countries who will gather tomorrow for a meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization.

Members of the group have closed ranks around Uzbekistan in the days before the meeting, declaring their support for Mr. Karimov and his bloody crackdown on May 13 that left hundreds of corpses in the streets.

Kyrgyzstan will remain silent on the issue. “We are very much committed to human rights,” Ms. Otunbayeva said. “But sometimes the realpolitik is very tough.”

Tough indeed, and it is only going to get worse. The U.S. should try to hold onto its bases as long as possible while making further inroads into the region. Of all these place, Kyrgyzstan is the most likely candidate for penetration. It is also the country most willing to take the steps necessary for liberalization of its economy and civil society. Kyrgyzstan could then serve as both a model and influence for positive change in a region where large powers are coming together to secure their authoritarianism.