Politics

9 August 2024
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has canceled his trip to Central Asia. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
A wind farm operates in Kazakhstan. Clean energy is a major part of Japan's planned business deals in Central Asia.
International relations

Japan to offer $2bn in trade support for Central Asia projects

Green and digital technology among areas of 200-plus deals due out at summit

6 August 2024
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet in August with leaders from five Central Asian countries in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
International relations

Japan builds ties in Russia's backyard with Central Asia summit

Tokyo to offer support for decarbonization and logistics in resource-rich region

1 August 2024
A train runs near the Chinese border in Kazakhstan. Much of the railway in Central Asia's Middle Corridor has aging infrastructure.
Transportation

Central Asian railway to offer new link between China, Europe

New rail network would bypass problematic routes through Russia and Red Sea

10 July 2024
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, second left, hosts the leaders of China, Russia, Tajikistan and Belarus at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana on July 4.
Opinion

Kazakhstan leverages middle power status with West, China, Russia

Europe, U.S. need to enhance engagement with Astana

8 July 2024
Uyghur women protest in front of policemen in Urumqi on July 7, 2009. The unrest, which started two days earlier, prompted a harsh crackdown and led to much stricter governance in the Xinjiang region.
Politics

15 years after Xinjiang unrest, China fends off criticism of hardline rule

Beijing cements support from like-minded states, cushioning West's condemnation

5 July 2024
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- including China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and the Kazakh host Kassym-Jomart Tokayev -- pose for a group photo in Astana on July 4.
International relations

China and Russia's security bloc tightens bonds as it expands

Belarus the latest to join SCO as group aims to counterbalance the West

5 July 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3. (Sputnik/Pool photo via Reuters)
International relations

Xi Jinping meets Russia's Putin, backs Kazakhstan joining BRICS

Chinese president in Astana for regional SCO summit as tensions with West simmer

3 July 2024
Electric vehicle maker BYD is opening a new factory in Thailand as Chinese EV producers face the prospect of stiff EU tariffs.
Your Week in Asia

Tokyo picks next governor, Shanghai AI conference, BYD opens Thai factory

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

30 June 2024
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, left, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Astana on June 12. Yoon is on a three-nation visit to Central Asia.
International relations

South Korea's Yoon seeks deals in Central Asian resource push

Visit to Kazakhstan and other countries aimed at mineral access, less reliance on China

13 June 2024
Registan Square in Samarkand. Uzbekistan is positioned to be a transport hub of the Eurasian continent. (Photo by Akira Takemura)
International relations

Uzbekistan's tech ambitions draw corporate Japan's interest

Tashkent looks to leverage Japanese e-learning to educate and employ youth

26 May 2024
Former Kazakh Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev during a court hearing in Astana on May 13, when he was found guilty of murdering his common-law wife and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Crime

Murder trial of Kazakh ex-minister leads to reforms on domestic violence

Kuandyk Bishimbayev sentenced to 24 years in prison for torturing, killing his partner

14 May 2024
"Not enough time, not enough support": Uzbekistan, a landlocked country slightly bigger than California, is facing the consequences of a history of poor irrigation, with rising salinity slashing the size of usable growing areas.
Asia Insight

Uzbek farmers battle to save cotton, wheat crops from mortal enemy: salt

Growing salinization crisis bites as cotton exports to Bangladesh skid 80% in 5 years

7 May 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of five Central Asian countries who are increasingly worried that if Russia defeats Ukraine, it will start interfering in their internal affairs. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Comment

The ghost of Soviet Union returns to haunt Central Asia, Caucasus

Fear of Russian political meddling grows as its troops regain footing in Ukraine

14 April 2024
A worker helps operate a gas field in Uzbekistan in June 2023. Methanol obtained from natural gas can be used to churn out raw materials for products ranging from plastics to films.
Economy

Uzbekistan chases chemical hub dream with Chinese polymer tech

Nation aims to export value-added products made from its natural gas

13 April 2024
A Russian law enforcement officer near the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following the attack on March 22.
Terrorism

Moscow attack reveals ISIS-K's widening strategy of deadly disruption

Afghanistan IS-offshoot blamed for Russia's deadliest terror attack in two decades

26 March 2024
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan, Russia, on Feb. 21. Kyrgyzstan's parliament recently passed a law on "foreign agents" similar to legislation Moscow imposed over a decade ago. (Sputnik via Reuters)
Politics

Kyrgyzstan takes page from Russia in pushing 'foreign agents' law

Critics urge President Japarov not to sign bill that would squeeze NGOs and media

22 March 2024
A production of "Tin Soldier" for children. (Photo by Yuriy Korotetskiy)
Arts

Russian war refugees boost Kazakhstan's theater scene

New plays bring diversity and cater to all ages in different languages

16 March 2024
A four-lane toll road linking the Azerbaijani capital of Baku with the Russian border opened in October. (Photo by Nikkei)
International relations

Russia-India trade route through Central Asia moves forward

Azerbaijan's role in shipping corridor turns into military advantage

12 March 2024
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, right, meets with Maksat Babayev, chairman of state gas company Turkmengaz, to sign a preliminary deal. (Anadolu Agency)
Energy

Turkmenistan signs gas deal with Turkey, eyeing European sales

If finalized, Turkmenistan can reduce reliance on China as dominant customer

2 March 2024
Downtown Astana as seen from the official residence of Kazakhstan's president. The government aims to spur growth toward a goal of doubling GDP.
Politics

Kazakhstan aims for tricky economic reboot after cabinet shuffle

President Tokayev tasks new PM with spurring growth and trimming budget

10 February 2024
From left, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and People’s Council of Turkmenistan Chairman Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov attend the annual summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Nov. 3. (Organization of Turkic States)
International relations

U.S. has golden opportunity to engage Central Asia's Turkic states: analysts

In race to replace Russia, China and Iran also eye greater role in region

31 December 2023
Arkadag won its first 20 games of the season to clinch the league title. (Photo from Football Federation of Turkmenistan)
Sports

Turkmenistan's 'can't lose' soccer champs stir Soviet-era memories

Arkadag FC named after Central Asian nation's authoritarian ex-president

16 December 2023
Japan's Fumio Kishida, right, and Kyrgyzstan's Sadyr Japarov met in Tokyo on Nov. 20, ahead of a planned visit to Central Asia by the Japanese leader next year.
International relations

Japan looks to wean Kyrgyzstan off reliance on China, Russia

Leaders stress friendship, commitment to rule of law in Tokyo meeting

21 November 2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, left, on the sidelines of the Nov. 3 summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
International relations

Turkey and France jostle for Central Asia influence as Russia declines

Ankara leads Turkic state summit while Macron visits Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

4 November 2023