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TOPIC

Belt and Road Initiative

Belt and Road Initiative
The initiative spearheaded by the Chinese government and endorsed by President Xi Jinping in late 2013 aims to improve trade and economic integration across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Illustration: Henry Wong
Science

How Chinese green tech and investment are reshaping the Central Asian landscape

As the belt and road pivots towards clean energy, Kazakhstan and its neighbours are emerging as top partners for Beijing-backed projects.

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China-Latin America relations

Panama rejects US pressure claims as it seeks to ease China tensions

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Hong Kong economy

China Mobile plans fresh Central Asia link to Hong Kong submarine cable network

Hong Kong economy

Private equity firm Templewater primed as Hong Kong deepens Central Asia ties

Chairman Cliff Zhang says company positioning itself as ‘superconnector’ to channel Middle East funds into emerging market amid volatility elsewhere.

A view of the presidential palace in Astana, Kazakhstan. Photo: Getty Images
Alibaba

‘Sharif speed’ meets Qwen AI: how Alibaba sealed a sweeping deal with Pakistan

Chairman Joe Tsai uses firm’s mobile AI tool to draft a sweeping tech pact in moments, as ‘frontier technologies’ increasingly enter the global limelight.

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Asean

China’s new US$10.7 billion canal near completion to boost Asean trade links

The Pinglu Canal – a US$10 billion waterway connecting China’s heartlands to the Gulf of Tonkin – will begin trial operations as soon as September.

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China-Russia relations

China and Russia unite on world order, but Putin departs without concrete gains

Analysts say Beijing’s position in managing three-way ties appears to be strengthened after hosting Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

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Most of the deals signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday are symbolic, according to analysts. Pool photo: Reuters via AP
China-Middle East relations

China breaks ground on Gulf aviation megaproject in shadow of Iran war

A state-owned firm has launched work on a massive aviation complex, signalling continued confidence amid regional conflict.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s Central Asia pivot aims to boost belt and road role, analysts say

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are logical destinations for city to pursue business opportunities amid geopolitical uncertainty, analysts say.

China technology

China’s BeiDou leads GPS, other rivals across belt and road network: report

Products and services compatible with China’s navigation system have captured 58 per cent market share in countries in the trade initiative.

A worker produces intelligent central control navigation products at BeiDou Zhilian (Jiangsu) Technology’s factory in Suqian, Jiangsu province, last month. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Kazakhstan to deepen financial services cooperation with Hong Kong, consul says

Envoy Bauyrzhan Dosmanbetov attributes growth of local Kazakhstani community to Belt and Road Scholarship programme launched in 2016.

A light rail train on the first day of operations in Astana, Kazakhstan, in mid-May. Photo: Handout
Yuan

Editorial | Why China’s yuan is gaining appeal

More countries find yuan financing attractive. Even without full convertibility, the Chinese currency offers something invaluable.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh turns to China for Teesta river project, testing India ties

Bangladesh’s new prime minister has formally asked China to help with a long-delayed river project near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor.

China trade

How a China-backed highway may turn landlocked Laos into a trade gateway

The project is part of wider efforts to build overland trade corridors linking southern China with the Mekong region.

An aerial drone photo taken on April 13 shows a train of the China-Laos Railway, departing from Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province, arriving in Vientiane, Laos. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong economy

Uzbek PM Abdulla Aripov to join ‘milestone’ 200-member delegation in Hong Kong

Prime minister to meet city leader John Lee on Wednesday and join Uzbek officials and business leaders already exploring opportunities.

The official delegation is the largest to visit Hong Kong, according to the government. Photo: Karma Lo
Banking & finance

Kazakhstan’s AIFC discussing stock-trading links with Shanghai, Hong Kong

Cross-border trading connections could start with ETFs, says special economic zone’s governor.

Sri Lanka

Elephant in room: can Sri Lanka’s ‘world’s emptiest airport’ attract investors?

Since opening in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has failed to generate enough revenue to cover even its electricity bills.

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Mainland China

Pakistani president’s visit seeks to bolster ‘full spectrum’ of ties with China

Asif Ali Zardari’s visit also comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to play a key role in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

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Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (centre) pictured on a visit to an industrial plant in Changsha. Photo: EPA
China-EU relations

Opinion | Middle East shipping crisis elevates China-Europe railway’s profile

Geopolitical strife has taken the China-Europe railway from an alternative to an essential part of continental connectivity.

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China’s private sector

Muddy yet clear-cut: how Chinese investors are turning jungle into a new capital

Chinese construction firms keen to cement trade ties with Jakarta through multimillion dollar projects to build a brand new centre of power.

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Central Asia

As US-Iran war chokes Hormuz, can ‘Middle Corridor’ rise to the rescue?

Logistics route via Central Asia, South Caucasus, Caspian Sea and Turkey said to be ‘experiencing massive operational momentum’.

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With global medical supply chains proving fragile, the Middle Corridor is being held up as a potential vital route for rapid humanitarian aid. Photo: Future Publishing via Getty Images
Global monetary policy

Editorial | Chinese yuan slowly but surely cutting into US dollar dominance

Kazakhstan’s issuance of yuan-denominated debt shows developing nations can use ‘panda bonds’ as stepping stones into global capital markets.

An employee counts 100-yuan notes at a bank in Beijing on November 14, 2024. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says

Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | 4 identities Hong Kong must embrace to provide global leadership

The city can be a bedrock for world commerce, finance, governance and civilisational exchange as we enter a new phase of globalisation.

Central Asia

Opinion | Why China is looking to Central Asia as Middle East grows riskier

The region’s strategic value as a corridor of resilience is becoming harder to ignore.

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An oil and gas industry worker operates a drilling rig at the Zhetybay field in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, on November 13, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Xinjiang

Why has China mapped out a third new county in Xinjiang on its western frontier?

Cenling county, near Pakistan and Afghan borders and disputed frontier with India, follows Hean and Hekang as Beijing boosts security.

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A visitor takes a photo at a China-Pakistan border crossing checkpost, high in the Karakoram Range in Xinjiang. Photo: EPA
China education

Vocational schools a new front as China backs businesses’ global expansion

Earlier programmes focused on infrastructure, but new wave is shaped by demand in e-commerce, digital services and advanced manufacturing.

Chinese history

Open Questions | China always a connector, never a coloniser, author says

Sheng-Wei Wang says China’s Belt and Road Initiative echoes the voyages of 15th century Chinese explorer Zheng He, who promoted trade but never stayed.

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