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Central Asia
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Central Asia

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Central Asia
Central Asia
News from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
Afghan girls at a primary school in Kabul. The Taliban does not permit girls to study beyond primary education. Photo: AFP
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.

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SCO

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

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Hong Kong economy

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

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong urged to be ‘super partner’ in businesses’ overseas expansion push

Chinese General Chamber of Commerce chief Jonathan Choi says city should invest and operate abroad, while urging annual review of first five-year plan.

The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce has urged Hong Kong to invest and operate overseas, not just connect businesses, as well as include an annual review of its first five-year plan to keep development on track. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong economy

Peter Lee’s family office signs Kazakhstan deal on green energy projects

Agreement covers sustainable aviation fuel, smart energy and storage projects, with Kazakh authorities to help identify sites, partners and regulatory approvals.

Japan

‘Grumpy’ Pallas kittens go on display at Japan zoo

The animals are believed to be one of the oldest living cat species.

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Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Boosting trade with the Global South makes sense for Hong Kong

To help local and national firms go global, Hong Kong’s statutory trade office should foster links in regions with untapped opportunities.

A container ship sails through Hong Kong waters on April 2, 2025. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

How Xinjiang offers Hong Kong a bridge to Central Asia — and what the risks are

Xinjiang’s transport links and proximity to Central Asia can help Hong Kong expand in region, but Western sanctions create hurdles, analysts say.

Science

Long before the Silk Road, silkworm cocoons already existed in Uzbekistan

Some 4,000 years ago, ancient people brought the production technique for the precious luxury from China to Central Asia via India.

Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Family office of Henderson Land boss to fast-track Central Asia green energy plans

Managing partner of Peter Lee’s family office says firm is pressing ahead with investment projects such as sustainable aviation fuel.

Full Vision’s senior management has made repeated trips to Astana since the Hong Kong government’s delegation visited Central Asia. Photo: Reuters
Afghanistan

China tests Central Asian land corridors to bypass maritime chokepoints

New Afghanistan link via Uzbekistan highlights diversification push, but critics ask if Taliban can ensure security for stable logistics.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s TDC to open Egypt office as it eyes African, Nordic markets

Trade Development Council has revamped corporate structure to better help firms in six new industry clusters, chairman Frederick Ma says.

China trade

Beijing to upgrade railway freight services to Europe

Agreement to build first phase of a multifunctional terminal at Kuryk, a Kazakh port on the Caspian Sea, signed in Shanghai recently.

China economy

Opinion | China is growing its export channels with railways through Central Asia

Beijing is seeking to diversify its export channels as geopolitical tensions destabilise maritime trade hubs.

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Chinese workers are seen in a tunnel in Kyrgyzstan, on February 13, part of the 523km China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway currently under construction. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong Palace Museum partners with Uzbek cultural centre for future projects

Signing ceremony also marks first reciprocal visit by Central Asian cultural institution since city leader led delegation to region in June.

Firdavs Abdukhalikov (left), director of the Islamic Civilisation Centre, poses with Louis Ng, director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Photo: Edmond So
Pakistan

‘Mini Kabul’ falls silent as Pakistan targets undocumented Afghans in border province

About 2.3 million Afghans – some who lived in Pakistan for decades – have been sent back since the repatriation drive began in 2023.

China travel

China and Kazakhstan agree to add 28 round-trip flights a week

Officials meeting in Beijing also expanded list of approved Chinese cities to 11, including Chongqing.

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Hong Kong economy

Mainland Chinese firms on Hong Kong-led Central Asia trip ‘eye city listing’

Hong Kong’s leader says city will press on as ‘superconnector’, ‘super value-adder’ to help them expand overseas amid geopolitical disruptions.

Hong Kong’s leader John Lee (centre, pointing) views a scale model at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, in early June. Photo: Handout
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Iran war is no longer a contest over just the Strait of Hormuz

The Aq Taqeh Khan bridge attack shows the war has expanded to the infrastructure that lets Iran function when the strait is contested.

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Hong Kong society

Filipino workers in Hong Kong allegedly recruited as surrogates for overseas couples

Consulate investigates alleged human trafficking cases, warns that women have been recruited through social media posts by former helpers.

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Hong Kong economy

Editorial | In the age of AI, Hong Kong’s strategy as a ‘superconnector’ is progressing

At SCMP’s China Conference, Chief Executive John Lee and panellists made clear the city’s potential as an innovation centre, building on its traditional strengths.

(From left) Jeanne Lim, founder and CEO of beingAI; Hendrick Sin, president of the Hong Kong Internet Professional Association; and Zhang Xiaoyan, vice-president of the China Centre for Information Industry Development, at South China Morning Post’s China Conference on July 7. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong economy

SCMP’s China Conference to debut in Astana this September

Esteemed China Conference series in Kazakh capital will highlight opportunities in fast-growing Central Asia.

SCMP publisher Tammy Tam says the event in Astana will enable participants to explore new opportunities. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Diplomacy

Opinion | In today’s ‘great game’, Central Asian nations are no longer prizes to be won

Instead of being caught between great powers, the five Central Asian nations are using hegemonic rivalries to advance their own interests.

China trade

China opens new Central Asia rail link to strengthen supply chain resilience

Beijing’s push to develop a transcontinental rail network has reduced exposure to naval chokepoints, analyst says.

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Asia travel

It’s finally opening up but is the ‘world’s weirdest country’ worth the trip?

After decades of isolation, Turkmenistan is easing visa barriers and courting visitors to Ashgabat, the ruins of Nisa and the Darvaza crater.

People visiting the “Gateway to Hell”, a crater of burning gas in the heart of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert. Photo: AFP
China trade

China cuts through Russia, Mideast instability with alternate cargo route

Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan and across Caspian Sea would have transit time of 15 to 18 days, compared with 45 to 60 for ocean routes.

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A photo taken on February 2 shows the first cross-Caspian Sea China-Europe freight train departing from the Nanchang International Land Port in Nanchang, in east China’s Jiangxi Province. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong is betting on integration with mainland China but what are the risks?

Integration offers strategic gains amid geopolitical tensions with West, but Hong Kong must retain unique qualities for businesses to thrive, executives say.

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China exports

‘Too many uncertainties’: why China’s exporters remain wary despite US-Iran deal

Traders and logistics companies fear disrupted supply chains and doubts about the agreement’s durability will continue to weigh on business decisions.

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