TOPIC

/ location

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

As of the end of July, China’s gold reserves stood at 76.08 million ounces, marking the 21st consecutive month of accumulation. Photo: dpa

Yuan

How a China gold vault network could promote the yuan’s international reach

By anchoring yuan trades to gold through Hong Kong and new global vaults, Beijing will add convertibility to its currency, report says.

25 Aug 2026 - 2:50PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

East African troops prepare for Gaza peacekeeping role in US-backed plan

24 Aug 2026 - 2:22PM

Central Asia

Kazakhstan election: party linked to president wins landslide

24 Aug 2026 - 2:55PM

China technology

Opinion | Asia is reaching for the open road that Chinese AI offers

Countries seeking sovereign AI want to control their own AI capabilities rather than rent them from a foreign platform.

23 Aug 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

A robot made by Chinese company AgiBot dances at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 7. Photo: Xinhua

US-China tech war

SpaceSail’s record funding fuels China’s satellite challenge to Musk’s Starlink

Company pairs landmark capital with rapid satellite deployment and overseas expansion as China’s private aerospace sector breaks new ground.

20 Aug 2026 - 2:00PM

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.

20 Aug 2026 - 11:23PM

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.

17 Aug 2026 - 9:44AM

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.

11 Aug 2026 - 10:29AMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong, Malaysia set for ‘deeper ties in semiconductor making, other sectors’

Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma makes comment as he joins Hong Kong’s biggest delegation to Malaysia to date for conference.

11 Aug 2026 - 5:50AM

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.

5 Aug 2026 - 8:08PM

Peter Lee (left) with Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. Photo: Handout

US-China relations

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, July 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met more than 20 world leaders this year, reflecting Beijing’s increasing global influence.

31 Jul 2026 - 3:47PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini. Photo: Xinhua

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.

26 Jul 2026 - 2:58PM

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.

25 Jul 2026 - 5:56PM

Central Asia

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.

25 Jul 2026 - 7:14AMvideocam

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.

24 Jul 2026 - 11:11PM

A view of the Pyramids of Giza on the southwestern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo. Photo: AFP

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.

24 Jul 2026 - 6:00PM

Belt and Road Initiative

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

The submarine cable project ties city with a high-speed data and information corridor running through Southeast Asia.

23 Jul 2026 - 6:17PM

Bonds

China vows to improve panda bond ratings to lure more foreign capital

Body overseeing interbank market, where most panda bonds are traded, sets August 1 deadline for rating agencies to comply.

22 Jul 2026 - 5:00PM

Chinese regulators are looking to improve the quality of credit ratings for yuan-denominated assets known as panda bonds. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

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.

22 Jul 2026 - 9:13AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Ukraine blames Russia for deadly strike on Turkish cargo ship

Ukraine’s navy said 6 died when Russia launched cruise missiles at the Golden Leo as it was ‘leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain’.

20 Jul 2026 - 7:43AMvideocam

Commodities

China’s resources deals turn gold mines into – gold mines

Chinese gold producers, after a buying spree for mines abroad, are cashing in as the metal’s price goes sky-high.

18 Jul 2026 - 4:21AMvideocam

Gold prices remain highly elevated despite a recent sell-off, boosting the earnings of Chinese gold mining firms. Photo: AFP

Artificial intelligence

Xi Jinping warns against creating ‘new historical injustices’ in AI era

Chinese leader’s presence at World AI Conference signals Beijing’s push to elevate AI from tech priority to pillar of geopolitical strategy.

17 Jul 2026 - 4:16PMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a group photo with other attendees before the opening ceremony for the World AI Conference in Shanghai on Friday. Photo: AP

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.

17 Jul 2026 - 2:53PM

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.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:35PM

Banking & finance

Hong Kong exchange lures listings from Canada, Indonesia, Kazakhstan

Bourse expected to see influx of international issuers in year’s second half, led by consumer goods and services companies, according to PwC.

10 Jul 2026 - 10:30AM

National rail operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy filed for a Hong Kong listing in June 30. Photo: Handout

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.

8 Jul 2026 - 7:15AM

(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.

8 Jul 2026 - 3:55PM

Japan

Japan pledges US$3 million for Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea water decline

Under the initiative for the world’s largest inland water body, Japan hopes to promote cooperation among littoral states on water resource management.

4 Jul 2026 - 10:10PM

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Kazakhstan

How a China gold vault network could promote the yuan’s international reach

By anchoring yuan trades to gold through Hong Kong and new global vaults, Beijing will add convertibility to its currency, report says.

East African troops prepare for Gaza peacekeeping role in US-backed plan

Kazakhstan election: party linked to president wins landslide

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Asia is reaching for the open road that Chinese AI offers

Countries seeking sovereign AI want to control their own AI capabilities rather than rent them from a foreign platform.

SpaceSail’s record funding fuels China’s satellite challenge to Musk’s Starlink

Company pairs landmark capital with rapid satellite deployment and overseas expansion as China’s private aerospace sector breaks new ground.

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.

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.

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.

Hong Kong, Malaysia set for ‘deeper ties in semiconductor making, other sectors’

Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma makes comment as he joins Hong Kong’s biggest delegation to Malaysia to date for conference.

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.

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, July 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met more than 20 world leaders this year, reflecting Beijing’s increasing global influence.

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.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}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.

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.

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.

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 Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

The submarine cable project ties city with a high-speed data and information corridor running through Southeast Asia.

China vows to improve panda bond ratings to lure more foreign capital

Body overseeing interbank market, where most panda bonds are traded, sets August 1 deadline for rating agencies to comply.

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.

Ukraine blames Russia for deadly strike on Turkish cargo ship

Ukraine’s navy said 6 died when Russia launched cruise missiles at the Golden Leo as it was ‘leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain’.

China’s resources deals turn gold mines into – gold mines

Chinese gold producers, after a buying spree for mines abroad, are cashing in as the metal’s price goes sky-high.

Xi Jinping warns against creating ‘new historical injustices’ in AI era

Chinese leader’s presence at World AI Conference signals Beijing’s push to elevate AI from tech priority to pillar of geopolitical strategy.

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.

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 exchange lures listings from Canada, Indonesia, Kazakhstan

Bourse expected to see influx of international issuers in year’s second half, led by consumer goods and services companies, according to PwC.

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.

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.

Japan pledges US$3 million for Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea water decline

Under the initiative for the world’s largest inland water body, Japan hopes to promote cooperation among littoral states on water resource management.

Opinion | Asia is reaching for the open road that Chinese AI offers

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