 
  Caption
                  A see-off ceremony for newly recruited soldiers is held on September 16, 2025, in Fuyang, China. (Getty Images)
               
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
 
Senior Research Fellow, Central Asia and Caucasus Institute
 
Sebastien Peyrouse is a senior research fellow with the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program.
Sebastien Peyrouse is a senior research fellow with the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program.
 
               
 
 
                        
   
               
