TOPIC

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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

For now, Central Asia relies heavily on natural gas but increasingly large sums are being spent on developing sources of clean energy. Photo: AP

Belt and Road 2026

Why Central Asia is turning to China for its renewable energy revolution

The Belt and Road Initiative, with its massive investments in wind, solar and nuclear power, is quietly reshaping the region’s energy future.

1 hour ago

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | For Hong Kong and Central Asia, the real work lies ahead

1 hour ago

Belt and Road 2026

How Hong Kong can capitalise on Kazakh asset sales

2 hours ago

Belt and Road 2026

Bypassing Russia: inside China’s most audacious railway project in Central Asia

The challenging Belt and Road Initiative project offers a vital Middle Corridor route – linking China to Europe while bypassing Russia.

3 hours ago

Projects like the cross-Mekong River bridge in Luang Prabang on the China-Laos Railway show China’s capacity to take on and successfully complete significant engineering works – something very much called for on the CKU line. Photo: Xinhua

Central Asia

China rallies Central Asian police chiefs on terrorism threats, energy and trade

Security ministers from five nations back Beijing initiative targeting extremism, border order and telecoms fraud.

8 Sep 2026 - 4:20PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong a boon to Kazakhstan’s advanced manufacturing ambitions: expert

Sabr Yessimbekov says some projects in MOUs signed between Kazakhstan and Hong Kong-mainland China delegation in June already under way.

8 Sep 2026 - 4:24PM

Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong emerges as leading Asian study destination for Kazakhstani students

Hong Kong universities attracting growing number of students from Central Asian country, with enrolment up by 408 per cent in eight years.

8 Sep 2026 - 6:33PM

CityU students Islam Seitzhanov (left) and Assem Kanabek. Photo: Edmond So

Hong Kong

First Hong Kong-Kazakhstan listing paves way for mining peers: official

Jiaxin’s ‘proof of concept’ should lead to more such listings, governor of Kazakhstan’s Astana International Financial Centre says.

8 Sep 2026 - 9:00AM

Education in Hong Kong

Kazakhstan aims to become education hub, but experts say jobs must match skills

Experts on panel at SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026 say collaboration with Hong Kong and mainland universities is in the pipeline.

8 Sep 2026 - 12:49AM

Hong Kong economy

Kazakhstan, Hong Kong ‘can build biotech unicorns by linking talent and capital’

Top academic tells SCMP event there’s real opportunity to connect capital, ideas and state support across the two regions.

8 Sep 2026 - 12:57AM

Professor Huck-Hui Ng says Kazakhstan’s nascent biotech sector has already produced several start-ups in areas such as AI and digital health. Photo: SCMP

Hong Kong economy

How can Hong Kong, Central Asia build momentum on growing ties, go beyond MOUs?

Tourism, professional services, mining and digital infrastructure prospects discussed at SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026.

8 Sep 2026 - 2:54AM

Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. Photo: Getty Images

Education in Hong Kong

SCMP partners with top Kazakh university to deepen Hong Kong’s Central Asia ties

Memorandum of understanding with Nazarbayev University signed ahead of SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026 in Astana.

7 Sep 2026 - 5:52PM

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong a ‘trusted partner’ to drive Central Asia growth, city leader says

Central Asia offers immense potential for global businesses, John Lee reveals as SCMP’s China Conference debuts in Astana.

7 Sep 2026 - 9:15PM

China food security

A potential food crisis threatens the world, but impact on China may be limited

El Nino fears and disruptions to Ukraine’s grain exports are driving up global crop prices, but China’s robust supplies temper the impact.

7 Sep 2026 - 3:39PM

A harvester operates in a corn field in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong to propel belt and road market expansion, finance chief says

Paul Chan’s pledge comes ahead of 11th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong this week.

6 Sep 2026 - 8:14PM

Hong Kong will host 11th Belt and Road Summit this week, an annual event that promotes business among participating nations. Photo: Kit Lai

Belt and Road Initiative

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

Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Office is focusing on strengthening links related to infrastructure, rules and standards, and people-to-people connections.

3 Sep 2026 - 5:30AM

SCO

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

The bloc underscores members’ rights to peaceful nuclear development in broader pushback at Western powers, analyst says.

3 Sep 2026 - 10:09AMvideocam

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.

3 Sep 2026 - 2:36AM

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

Central Asia

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.

2 Sep 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

SCO

Xi, Putin vow to deepen strategic ties after meeting at SCO summit

Xi said relevant departments from both sides are implementing initiatives he and Putin discussed during Putin’s state visit to China in May.

1 Sep 2026 - 1:50AMvideocam

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.

1 Sep 2026 - 12:56PM

Diplomacy

Opinion | US-China AI rivalry needn’t preclude cooperation

Forcing countries to choose between the US’ and China’s initiatives would be counterproductive to global AI governance.

29 Aug 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

The first session of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 6. Photo: Xinhua

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.

8 Sep 2026 - 2:19AMvideocam

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

Delegations from Burundi and Uganda visited Israel to discuss joining Donald Trump’s International Stabilisation Force.

24 Aug 2026 - 2:22PM

Military vehicles at a logistical support and staging facility to support the International Stabilisation Force under the direction of Trump's "Board of Peace", near the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel, in August. Photo: Reuters

Central Asia

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.

24 Aug 2026 - 2:55PM

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev casts his ballot at a polling station in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sunday. Photo: Kazakhstan’s President Press Office/AP

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

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

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Kazakhstan

Why Central Asia is turning to China for its renewable energy revolution

The Belt and Road Initiative, with its massive investments in wind, solar and nuclear power, is quietly reshaping the region’s energy future.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Editorial | For Hong Kong and Central Asia, the real work lies ahead

How Hong Kong can capitalise on Kazakh asset sales

Bypassing Russia: inside China’s most audacious railway project in Central Asia

The challenging Belt and Road Initiative project offers a vital Middle Corridor route – linking China to Europe while bypassing Russia.

China rallies Central Asian police chiefs on terrorism threats, energy and trade

Security ministers from five nations back Beijing initiative targeting extremism, border order and telecoms fraud.

Hong Kong a boon to Kazakhstan’s advanced manufacturing ambitions: expert

Sabr Yessimbekov says some projects in MOUs signed between Kazakhstan and Hong Kong-mainland China delegation in June already under way.

Hong Kong emerges as leading Asian study destination for Kazakhstani students

Hong Kong universities attracting growing number of students from Central Asian country, with enrolment up by 408 per cent in eight years.

First Hong Kong-Kazakhstan listing paves way for mining peers: official

Jiaxin’s ‘proof of concept’ should lead to more such listings, governor of Kazakhstan’s Astana International Financial Centre says.

Kazakhstan aims to become education hub, but experts say jobs must match skills

Experts on panel at SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026 say collaboration with Hong Kong and mainland universities is in the pipeline.

Kazakhstan, Hong Kong ‘can build biotech unicorns by linking talent and capital’

Top academic tells SCMP event there’s real opportunity to connect capital, ideas and state support across the two regions.

How can Hong Kong, Central Asia build momentum on growing ties, go beyond MOUs?

Tourism, professional services, mining and digital infrastructure prospects discussed at SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026.

SCMP partners with top Kazakh university to deepen Hong Kong’s Central Asia ties

Memorandum of understanding with Nazarbayev University signed ahead of SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026 in Astana.

Hong Kong a ‘trusted partner’ to drive Central Asia growth, city leader says

Central Asia offers immense potential for global businesses, John Lee reveals as SCMP’s China Conference debuts in Astana.

A potential food crisis threatens the world, but impact on China may be limited

El Nino fears and disruptions to Ukraine’s grain exports are driving up global crop prices, but China’s robust supplies temper the impact.

Hong Kong to propel belt and road market expansion, finance chief says

Paul Chan’s pledge comes ahead of 11th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong this week.

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

Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Office is focusing on strengthening links related to infrastructure, rules and standards, and people-to-people connections.

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

The bloc underscores members’ rights to peaceful nuclear development in broader pushback at Western powers, analyst says.

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.

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.

Xi, Putin vow to deepen strategic ties after meeting at SCO summit

Xi said relevant departments from both sides are implementing initiatives he and Putin discussed during Putin’s state visit to China in May.

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

Opinion | US-China AI rivalry needn’t preclude cooperation

Forcing countries to choose between the US’ and China’s initiatives would be counterproductive to global AI governance.

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.

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

Delegations from Burundi and Uganda visited Israel to discuss joining Donald Trump’s International Stabilisation Force.

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.

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.

Editorial | For Hong Kong and Central Asia, the real work lies ahead

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