The Shangai Five, comprising of Russia, China, Khazakistan, Kyrghyistan and Tajikstan, were scheduled to meet in Alamaty to spell out regional security arrangements in Central Asia.

According to media reports, the cancellation of visit by Yeltsin is to convey Russia's displeasure to Beijing over the generosity extended by it to the United States President Bill Clinton.

Moscow views the Washington-Beijing `honeymoon' with jealousy and apprehends that the US is playing the `China card' against Russia.

``What a double standard!'' exclaims leading English daily Moscow Times, saying ``Clinton is happy to make a trip to China an authoritarian regime with a terrible human record.''

The paper said Washington was on a ``honeymoon'' with such a country which not only had a "threatening foreign policy butalso supplied missile and nuclear technology to Pakistan and lobbed missiles in Taiwan."

Kremlin has left the observers pondering over the fate of the Shangai Five summit as Yeltsin did not appoint anyone to represent Russia.

Radio Ekho Moskvy, quoting observers, did not rule out the possibility that Zemin will also cancel his visit after the Kremlin's decision.

Officials at the Kremlin have said that President Yeltsin cannot make it to the summit as he has ``to tackle the economic crisis in the country''.

Russia was supposed to sign a declaration on peace and stability in central Asia at the Alamaty summit.