Kyrgyzstan's efforts to finally democratize following multiple bouts of authoritarianism will depend, to a great extent, on the country's small- and medium-sized business owners. These entrepreneurs, a relatively small group in Kyrgyzstan, have the potential to act as a collective engine of economic growth, and by extension political moderation.
A visit to a Bishkek bazaar, overflowing with products stamped with elaborate Chinese characters, offers a stark illustration of China's growing economic clout in Kyrgyzstan. But the Kyrgyz capital is not only proving a magnet for Chinese goods, it is drawing an increasing number of Han Chinese students of Russian.
