Advertisement
Advertisement
Central Asia
TOPIC
 / location

Central Asia

Related Topics:
Central Asia
Central Asia
News from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
A man collects building materials in Peshawar before his repatriation to Afghanistan on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Pakistan

‘Mini Kabul’ falls silent as Pakistan targets undocumented Afghans in border province

About 2.3 million Afghans – some who lived in Pakistan for decades – have been sent back since the repatriation drive began in 2023.

China travel

China and Kazakhstan agree to add 28 round-trip flights a week

Hong Kong economy

Mainland Chinese firms on Hong Kong-led Central Asia trip ‘eye city listing’

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Iran war is no longer a contest over just the Strait of Hormuz

The Aq Taqeh Khan bridge attack shows the war has expanded to the infrastructure that lets Iran function when the strait is contested.

videocam
4
A person stands in front of a large screen displaying vessel movements in the Strait of Hormuz on a ship-tracking website in Nicosia, Cyrpus, on May 4. Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz on July 12 and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours, in retaliation for new US strikes following an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant vessel that was abandoned in flames by its crew. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Filipino workers in Hong Kong allegedly recruited as surrogates for overseas couples

Consulate investigates alleged human trafficking cases, warns that women have been recruited through social media posts by former helpers.

videocam
5
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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

SCMP publisher Tammy Tam says the event in Astana will enable participants to explore new opportunities. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Diplomacy

Opinion | In today’s ‘great game’, Central Asian nations are no longer prizes to be won

Instead of being caught between great powers, the five Central Asian nations are using hegemonic rivalries to advance their own interests.

China trade

China opens new Central Asia rail link to strengthen supply chain resilience

Beijing’s push to develop a transcontinental rail network has reduced exposure to naval chokepoints, analyst says.

6
Asia travel

It’s finally opening up but is the ‘world’s weirdest country’ worth the trip?

After decades of isolation, Turkmenistan is easing visa barriers and courting visitors to Ashgabat, the ruins of Nisa and the Darvaza crater.

People visiting the “Gateway to Hell”, a crater of burning gas in the heart of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert. Photo: AFP
China trade

China cuts through Russia, Mideast instability with alternate cargo route

Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan and across Caspian Sea would have transit time of 15 to 18 days, compared with 45 to 60 for ocean routes.

11
A photo taken on February 2 shows the first cross-Caspian Sea China-Europe freight train departing from the Nanchang International Land Port in Nanchang, in east China’s Jiangxi Province. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong is betting on integration with mainland China but what are the risks?

Integration offers strategic gains amid geopolitical tensions with West, but Hong Kong must retain unique qualities for businesses to thrive, executives say.

4
China exports

‘Too many uncertainties’: why China’s exporters remain wary despite US-Iran deal

Traders and logistics companies fear disrupted supply chains and doubts about the agreement’s durability will continue to weigh on business decisions.

videocam
Science

Drowning desert: how Xinjiang’s infrastructure could fail under record rain

Unprecedented downpours prompt warning that links and systems adapted to an arid past may struggle to cope with a wetter future.

videocam
8
Two major flood events have occurred along the margins of the Taklamakan Desert in northwestern China since the beginning of June. Photo: CCTV
Science

Study shows 4,000-year battle of Eastern and Western genes in China’s heartland

Wars and trade saw human genes from East and West fuse as over a million Han dynasty immigrants moved to Ningxia, genomics research reveals.

videocam
9
Wen Shaoqing, corresponding author of a paper published in Nature Communications, observes the collected remains. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

Malaysia’s nationwide diesel subsidy gets citizens all pumped up

Diesel is currently US$1.05 per litre in Peninsular Malaysia, compared to a subsidised price of 50 US cents in Sabah and Sarawak.

videocam
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong to roll out measures boosting offshore yuan trading in July

Government wants more listed firms trading stocks in renminbi and will use city’s hub status to help mainland Chinese firms expand overseas.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers debut right-hand drive models for Southeast Asian push

Chinese brands, including BYD, Jaecoo and Wuling Motors, captured 17.6 per cent of Indonesia’s car market in the first quarter of 2026.

A view of the show floor at the International Automotive and Supply Chain Expo in Hong Kong on Thursday. Photo: May Tse
US, Israel war on Iran

China urged to boost navy escorts and find other routes to secure energy supply

Closure of Strait of Hormuz has exposed fragility of maritime chokepoints and more should be done to protect shipments, analysts say.

Afghanistan

Afghan government workers face sack, jail after smartphone ban begins

Employees will be available only ‘via telephone calls and email’, an official says, citing an order from the supreme leader.

Diplomacy

Opinion | How Asia can benefit from a Russia-India-China dialogue revival

Far from acting as another bloc, such a grouping could help ensure that regional competition is managed rather than reproduced.

videocam
(From left to right) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019. Photo: SPUTNIK / AFP
Hong Kong economy

Publisher's Pen | Hong Kong’s media must go global amid tech disruption, economic uncertainty

Deals signed during city leader’s Central Asian trip have opened new doors for industry, but it’s up to companies to boldly step through them.

Chief Executive John Lee (left) pauses for a selfie with Astana International Financial Centre Governor Renat Bekturov at the AIFC headquarters in Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 1. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong economy

HKEX, Kazakhstan’s AIFC explore dual listings with miners after landmark debut

Head of Astana’s special financial zone says deals signed with Hong Kong during John Lee’s visit mark ‘important milestone’ for cooperation.

John Lee

Exclusive | ‘Not giving up on any market’: John Lee on his push for Hong Kong’s interests

Traditional markets such as US and Europe matter just as much even as city seeks new partners, Hong Kong leader says.

videocam
Diplomacy

Outside In | Central Asia is finally coming into its own

The region’s five countries, inadvertent beneficiaries of Chinese infrastructure investment, then wars and tariffs elsewhere, are finding their feet.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (second left) visits the Centre for Islamic Civilisation in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on June 5. Photo: Handout
Banking & finance

Open Questions | AIIB chief Zou Jiayi on financing Asia’s green transition

President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on how it bridges differences to build a more sustainable, climate-resilient world.

videocam
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Hong Kong economy

Kazakhstan bank turns to Hong Kong as gateway to offshore renminbi finance

Chinese-backed Altyn Bank says Kazakh investors are turning to Hong Kong dim sum bonds to raise long-term capital for regional infrastructure.

Yuan

‘Increasingly influential’ use of China’s currency puts euro on notice

The US dollar is still dominant, but a slump in Europe may see China’s currency gain strength and reach the No 2 spot in global settlements.

videocam
38
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement