Japan leads Central Asia summit amid rising tensions with Russia, China 

washington — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's landmark three-day visit to Central Asia, beginning Friday, is poised to challenge the existing geopolitical balance in the region. The Central Asia + Japan group will hold its inaugural summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, where Kishida, supported by a delegation of 50 Japanese business leaders, will unveil a strategic $2 billion economic support package. During the August 9-12 trip, Kishida is also scheduled to visit Uzbekistan and Mongolia. Japan’s...