Dmitry Medvedev, Russian president, failed yesterday to win support from China or the former Soviet republics of central Asia in his deepening dispute with the west over military action in Georgia.

At a central Asian summit in Tajikistan, Mr Medvedev was unable to persuade Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, or other regional leaders to give explicit backing to Russia's intervention or its decision to recognise the independence of the two breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Georgia.