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Kazakhstan

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Kazakhstan. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Astana

Head of State

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Head of Government

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov

Alatau in Kazakhstan is among the new future city projects in Central Asia that aim to tackle population growth and ageing infrastructure. Photo: Handout

China-Russia relations

As Central Asia builds ‘smart cities’ with China, is it moving away from Russia?

Lack of Russian involvement in the mega-projects is seen as part of a broader structural shift as the region moves ‘closer to the world’.

11 Feb 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Climate change

Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

3 Feb 2026 - 5:30AM

World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

‘For the world’: Trump launches his Board of Peace that some see rivalling UN

22 Jan 2026 - 8:49PMvideocam

Belt and Road Initiative

US trade war? China had bigger plans in 2025 as ‘belt and road’ deals surged

China’s global infrastructure strategy logged a record US$213 billion of new deals in 2025, as metals projects in Central Asia soared, report finds.

19 Jan 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

Security guards patrol a lithium project in Zimbabwe. China’s engagement in metals and mining projects surged last year, according to a report by the Griffith Asia Institute. Photo: EPA-EFE

Food and Drinks

First Look: Yurt, Hong Kong’s ‘first modern Central Asian restaurant’

The Kazakh founders of this SoHo restaurant eventually aim to expand it into a cultural hub, seeing an outpouring of support from the local Central Asian community.

8 Jan 2026 - 2:02PM

Ukraine war

Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

For hubs of transit trade from Armenia to the UAE, economic self-interest is best served by having sanctions on Russia in place indefinitely.

23 Dec 2025 - 4:30PM

Food and Drinks

New restaurant Yurt brings Kazakhstan’s horsemeat tradition to Hong Kong

Horsemeat is a central part of Kazakh and Central Asian culture and, for the team at Yurt, there was no question of it not being on the menu.

23 Dec 2025 - 2:24PM

A variety of dishes at Yurt, including beshbarmak (top left). Photo: Yurt

Japan

Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.

18 Dec 2025 - 5:41PMvideocam

China-Russia relations

Chinese firms gear up for Russia’s reopening amid talks aimed at peace deal

Many Chinese exporters expect the first wave of post-war demand in Russia to come from infrastructure.

7 Dec 2025 - 8:57PM

US-China relations

Why China may be better placed than US in tussle for rare earths

While Beijing has long engaged with resource-rich nations, Trump’s Washington is seen as more ‘aggressive’ and reactive.

6 Dec 2025 - 6:51AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Kazakhstan tells Ukraine to stop Black Sea oil terminal attacks

Ukraine has mounted wave after wave of attacks on Russia’s oil refineries and crude oil terminals in an attempt to undermine the Russian war economy.

30 Nov 2025 - 5:33PM

This video grab taken from images released by the Security service of Ukraine (SBU) on Saturday shows smoke rising from a cargo ship in the Black Sea off the Turkish coast Ukraine says is transporting sanctioned Russian oil, on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong environmental issues

Letters | Rare stingray in Victoria Harbour a welcome sign of nature’s restoration

Readers discuss how Hong Kong’s marine conservation efforts are paying off, plans for a residential development in a Tai Po site, and geopolitical contests in Central Asia.

20 Nov 2025 - 11:30AM

US-China relations

Opinion | As US and China turn their eyes to Central Asia, Russia loses out

The region that has traditionally been in Russia’s geopolitical orbit is turning into a new arena of competition between the US and China.

18 Nov 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

Banking & finance

Yuan rapidly gaining ground as Chinese firms plot global expansion

Yuan’s use in cross-border payments rose 14 per cent year on year to 35 trillion yuan (US$4.9 trillion), according to the People’s Bank of China.

17 Nov 2025 - 2:38PM

The yuan is the world’s third-largest trade finance currency after the US dollar and the euro, according to a report by the China Banking Association. Photo: Shutterstock

US-China trade war

US ‘knocking on every country’s door’ as it races to secure rare earth supplies

Washington is determined to break China’s rare earths chokehold in case ties with Beijing fray once again, analysts say.

10 Nov 2025 - 11:00PMvideocam

China has increasingly used its dominance of global rare earth supplies as leverage in its negotiations with the United States amid the trade war. Photo: AFP

Central Asia

Why did Kazakhstan join the Abraham Accords if Israel wasn’t the reason?

It’s all part of the ‘Great Game 2.0’, with Kazakhstan seeing the US as a hedge against China and Russia’s influence, analysts say.

10 Nov 2025 - 5:06PMvideocam

Art

Kazakh fabric artist reflects on inherited ‘traumas’ in Hong Kong show

The Mills becomes Berlin-based Gulnur Mukazhanova’s canvas as she uses Central Asian textiles to explore perspective and question hope.

10 Nov 2025 - 4:15PM

Donald Trump

Trump hosts Central Asian leaders as US eyes sources for critical minerals

The C5+1 summit marks Washington’s effort to expand influence in a resource-rich region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China.

7 Nov 2025 - 1:44PMvideocam

President Donald Trump hosting leaders of five Central Asian countries at the White House. Photo: EPA

Start-ups

Tencent-backed Uzbek start-up eyes pre-IPO funding round in Hong Kong

Uzum co-founder Nikolay Seleznev is looking at a potential listing in 2027, including in Hong Kong, London, Abu Dhabi and Nasdaq.

5 Nov 2025 - 9:00AM

US-China relations

Opinion | A US-China thaw could boost Eurasian trade

While China’s interest in Central Asian infrastructure is well established through its Belt and Road Initiative, the US is quietly becoming more active in the region too.

4 Nov 2025 - 4:30PM

Energy

Opec agrees to output increase, moderates plans due to glut fears

Opec has raised output targets by more than 2.7 million bpd since April but slowed the pace in October and November amid predictions of oversupply.

2 Nov 2025 - 9:31PM

Ukraine war

Trump urged Zelensky to make concessions to Russia in tense meeting: sources

US president reportedly pushed the Ukrainian leader to accept Russia’s current battle lines as a permanent ceasefire deal.

20 Oct 2025 - 1:16PM

US President Donald Trump speaking with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via AFP

Banking & finance

Editorial | Hong Kong’s reinvention ensures its future as a thriving financial hub

From the expansion of services to experimentation in new tools, the city is becoming a one-stop shop in cross-border finance and banking.

14 Oct 2025 - 6:45AM

Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong in fight for foreign university students as Singapore emerges as rival

Number of international first-year students at city’s public universities below pre-pandemic levels despite government doubling quotas.

12 Oct 2025 - 9:00AM

Russia

Putin admits Russian missiles downed Azerbaijan jet last year

Putin promised compensation for Azerbaijan Airlines crash victims after Russian missiles downed the plane amid Ukrainian drone incursions.

9 Oct 2025 - 9:12PM

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Tajik President at the Palace of Nation in Dushanbe on Thursday. Photo: AFP

China trade

Kazakhstan seeks investment to become ‘transit hub’ for China-Europe trade

Deputy trade minister Asset Nussupov says obstacles need to be cleared for ‘Middle Corridor’ trade route to flourish.

9 Oct 2025 - 9:00PM

Enthusiastic crowds welcomed President Xi Jinping in Astana, Kazakhstan, in June, when he attended the China-Central Asia Summit. Photo: Xinhua

Banking & finance

Exclusive | Hong Kong the launch pad for China’s new financial ideas, UBS China chief says

Hong Kong is showing the world that China is ‘open for business’, as the financial centre provides a bridge for China’s ideas.

8 Oct 2025 - 8:43AM

IPO

Zijin Gold makes solid Hong Kong trading debut as shares jump 56%

Three mainland Chinese companies make strong debuts, adding to Hong Kong’s lustre as world’s leading fundraising venue.

30 Sep 2025 - 4:32PM

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Kazakhstan

As Central Asia builds ‘smart cities’ with China, is it moving away from Russia?

Lack of Russian involvement in the mega-projects is seen as part of a broader structural shift as the region moves ‘closer to the world’.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

‘For the world’: Trump launches his Board of Peace that some see rivalling UN

US trade war? China had bigger plans in 2025 as ‘belt and road’ deals surged

China’s global infrastructure strategy logged a record US$213 billion of new deals in 2025, as metals projects in Central Asia soared, report finds.

First Look: Yurt, Hong Kong’s ‘first modern Central Asian restaurant’

The Kazakh founders of this SoHo restaurant eventually aim to expand it into a cultural hub, seeing an outpouring of support from the local Central Asian community.

Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

For hubs of transit trade from Armenia to the UAE, economic self-interest is best served by having sanctions on Russia in place indefinitely.

New restaurant Yurt brings Kazakhstan’s horsemeat tradition to Hong Kong

Horsemeat is a central part of Kazakh and Central Asian culture and, for the team at Yurt, there was no question of it not being on the menu.

Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.

Chinese firms gear up for Russia’s reopening amid talks aimed at peace deal

Many Chinese exporters expect the first wave of post-war demand in Russia to come from infrastructure.

Why China may be better placed than US in tussle for rare earths

While Beijing has long engaged with resource-rich nations, Trump’s Washington is seen as more ‘aggressive’ and reactive.

Kazakhstan tells Ukraine to stop Black Sea oil terminal attacks

Ukraine has mounted wave after wave of attacks on Russia’s oil refineries and crude oil terminals in an attempt to undermine the Russian war economy.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Rare stingray in Victoria Harbour a welcome sign of nature’s restoration

Readers discuss how Hong Kong’s marine conservation efforts are paying off, plans for a residential development in a Tai Po site, and geopolitical contests in Central Asia.

Opinion | As US and China turn their eyes to Central Asia, Russia loses out

The region that has traditionally been in Russia’s geopolitical orbit is turning into a new arena of competition between the US and China.

Yuan rapidly gaining ground as Chinese firms plot global expansion

Yuan’s use in cross-border payments rose 14 per cent year on year to 35 trillion yuan (US$4.9 trillion), according to the People’s Bank of China.

US ‘knocking on every country’s door’ as it races to secure rare earth supplies

Washington is determined to break China’s rare earths chokehold in case ties with Beijing fray once again, analysts say.

Why did Kazakhstan join the Abraham Accords if Israel wasn’t the reason?

It’s all part of the ‘Great Game 2.0’, with Kazakhstan seeing the US as a hedge against China and Russia’s influence, analysts say.

Kazakh fabric artist reflects on inherited ‘traumas’ in Hong Kong show

The Mills becomes Berlin-based Gulnur Mukazhanova’s canvas as she uses Central Asian textiles to explore perspective and question hope.

Trump hosts Central Asian leaders as US eyes sources for critical minerals

The C5+1 summit marks Washington’s effort to expand influence in a resource-rich region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China.

Tencent-backed Uzbek start-up eyes pre-IPO funding round in Hong Kong

Uzum co-founder Nikolay Seleznev is looking at a potential listing in 2027, including in Hong Kong, London, Abu Dhabi and Nasdaq.

Opinion | A US-China thaw could boost Eurasian trade

While China’s interest in Central Asian infrastructure is well established through its Belt and Road Initiative, the US is quietly becoming more active in the region too.

Opec agrees to output increase, moderates plans due to glut fears

Opec has raised output targets by more than 2.7 million bpd since April but slowed the pace in October and November amid predictions of oversupply.

Trump urged Zelensky to make concessions to Russia in tense meeting: sources

US president reportedly pushed the Ukrainian leader to accept Russia’s current battle lines as a permanent ceasefire deal.

Editorial | Hong Kong’s reinvention ensures its future as a thriving financial hub

From the expansion of services to experimentation in new tools, the city is becoming a one-stop shop in cross-border finance and banking.

Hong Kong in fight for foreign university students as Singapore emerges as rival

Number of international first-year students at city’s public universities below pre-pandemic levels despite government doubling quotas.

Putin admits Russian missiles downed Azerbaijan jet last year

Putin promised compensation for Azerbaijan Airlines crash victims after Russian missiles downed the plane amid Ukrainian drone incursions.

Kazakhstan seeks investment to become ‘transit hub’ for China-Europe trade

Deputy trade minister Asset Nussupov says obstacles need to be cleared for ‘Middle Corridor’ trade route to flourish.

Exclusive | Hong Kong the launch pad for China’s new financial ideas, UBS China chief says

Hong Kong is showing the world that China is ‘open for business’, as the financial centre provides a bridge for China’s ideas.

Zijin Gold makes solid Hong Kong trading debut as shares jump 56%

Three mainland Chinese companies make strong debuts, adding to Hong Kong’s lustre as world’s leading fundraising venue.

Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

Letters | Rare stingray in Victoria Harbour a welcome sign of nature’s restoration