Dozens protest against Chinese influence in Kazakhstan

People protest against the construction of Chinese factories in Kazakhstan during a rally in Almaty, Kazakhstan September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev

ALMATY/NUR-SULTAN (Reuters) - Kazakhs protesting against the construction of Chinese factories held public rallies in three Kazakh cities on Wednesday, demanding a ban on an initiative which the Central Asian nation's government hoped would bring investment and jobs.

Neighbouring China is already one of the oil-rich former Soviet republic's biggest investors and trade partners, but its broad presence and Beijing's campaign to "de-radicalise" ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang province have contributed to a growing anti-Chinese sentiment.