Advertisement
Advertisement
Central Asia
TOPIC
 / location

Central Asia

Related Topics:
Central Asia
Central Asia
News from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi wave to the crowd after Xi’s arrival at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
China trade

What Xi’s tour of Egypt and Central Asia reveals about China’s trade strategy

Presidential tour highlights strategy of shifting manufacturing abroad, shielding domestic exporters from growing global barriers.

videocam
Belt and Road Initiative

Opinion | 3 key belt and road connectivities that Hong Kong drives

SCO

SCO takes landmark stand on nuclear security as Iran comes under renewed attack

videocam
29
Singapore

Can Singapore be the ‘natural choice’ to bridge Asean and Central Asia?

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore aims to explore ways to boost cooperation between both regions in various sectors.

4
Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reaffirm the long-standing relations between both states last month. Photo: Ministry of Digital Development and Information
SCO

In Bishkek, US envoys shadow SCO summit in challenge on Beijing and Moscow’s turf

Central Asian countries in focus as Washington pursues outreach serving to blunt Chinese influence in strategically valuable region.

videocam
13
China-Middle East relations

Xi makes world tour ahead of White House summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting leaders from across the Global South ahead of a probable summit with US leader Donald Trump.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
SCO

Opinion | 25 years on, the SCO’s pragmatic strategy is working better than ever

The SCO’s significance is practical: it gives those who do not want their future defined in Washington a forum to coordinate and hedge.

videocam
Heads of state attend a session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 1. Photo: Reuters
Belt and Road Initiative

How China’s rail diplomacy could shield regional supply chains from shocks

China’s Kyrgyzstan rail pledge highlights wider drive to knit Asia together and strengthen trade links.

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping calls on SCO members to team up for bigger global tech-security role

The world is at a crossroads and the group should shoulder its responsibility, Chinese president says at Bishkek summit.

7
India

‘Aloof’ but engaged: what India’s SCO comeback reveals

New Delhi’s re-engagement with the China-led bloc serves as a reminder to the US that it has other options, analysts say.

4
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi disembarks from an aircraft upon his arrival in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Sunday. Photo: Kyrgyzstan’s Presidential Press Office / AP
SCO

What to expect as China’s Xi Jinping attends SCO summit in Bishkek

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s 25th anniversary summit expected to offer clues to China’s ambitions for a more multipolar Asia, analysts say.

videocam
14
Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov (right) welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to the capital Bishkek ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Photo: AFP
China-Russia relations

In Focus | Is the Irtysh River the choke-free Arctic shipping gateway that China needs?

A proposed Irtysh route could link China to the Arctic, but political and natural barriers would have to be overcome.

China-Russia relations

Xi, Putin to meet in Bishkek for Power of Siberia 2 talks: Kremlin

Second face-to-face talks this year to come as leaders of China and Russia visit Kyrgyzstan for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

videocam
US-China relations

Uzbekistan tests US-China AI rift with bid to join rival tech bloc

Tashkent eyes Pax Silica entry as Central Asian nations resist growing pressure to choose between Washington and Beijing in the AI race.

videocam
10
US Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg (left) convenes the inaugural Pax Silica Summit in Washington on December 12, 2025. Photo: Getty Images for Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg
Malaysia

Why Malaysia’s push for 15 million Muslim tourists is no sure thing

With disruption to long-haul flights, Malaysia may not draw more Muslim visitors at the expense of the travel hubs in Dubai and Doha.

A view of Kuala Lumpur’s city skyline. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong lawmaker urges firms to expand into emerging markets amid US visa pause

Jonathan Lamport tells SCMP the local business community is closely monitoring whether business visa processing, approvals will be affected.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan election: party linked to president wins landslide

The Adilet party secured a sweeping victory with over 71 per cent of votes as Tokayev says he has the legal right to seek re-election.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific to launch direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty in January

Airline will operate the only non-stop service between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan’s largest city three times a week, with economy fares from HK$2,296.

Cathay Pacific will launch three weekly direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty in Kazakhstan in January. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong transport

Mable Chan uses Qatar Airways office opening to drop Central Asia route reveal

SCMP has learned that Cathay Pacific Airways is the airline behind plans to launch direct route to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

SCO

China-led SCO, a counterweight to the West

The 10-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation convenes in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for its annual summit on August 31.

China-Russia relations

In Focus | Why the Arctic sea route has become so important for China and Russia

Global shipping disruptions, along with oil and gas projects, have added to the strategic value of the Northern Sea Route.

videocam
4
Illustration: Davies Christian
India

Russia-India rail link plan: a ‘strategic’ shift in energy transport?

Moscow is eyeing a direct rail link to India, reflecting a scramble by major powers to build trade corridors beyond Hormuz, analysts say.

Vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on August 10. Photo: TNS
Afghanistan

Pakistan border sees 724 humanitarian trucks enter Afghanistan

Nearly 14 million Afghans are facing acute hunger after deadly earthquakes last year, several climate-related disasters this year and the return of millions of refugees.

Uzbekistan

Jim Rogers eyes up China’s yuan as he warns of a US market crash

Legendary investor lauds the yuan but says his cash holdings are still in US dollars because the Chinese currency lacks full convertibility.

China trade

China’s Central Asia push

China has become Central Asia’s top trading partner, with two-way trade surpassing US$100 billion last year on the back of increased oil and gas imports.

China’s Central Asia push
Afghanistan

2.4 million Afghan girls banned from schools 5 years after Taliban takeover: UN

The United Nations is urging an end to the ‘discriminatory’ Taliban policy that prevents girls from studying beyond primary school.

videocam
Afghan girls at a primary school in Kabul. The Taliban does not permit girls to study beyond primary education. Photo: AFP
SCO

Opinion | The SCO is caught between regional weight and global ambitions

As the SCO marks its 25th anniversary, internal rifts as well as limited financial integration and security cooperation are holding it back.

videocam
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong commerce chief to lead joint local and mainland delegation to Malaysia

Algernon Yau says about 200 mainland enterprises have already set up offices in the city since last year to expand globally.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement