https://www.scmp.com/rss/325318/feed News from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has established a third new county in its Xinjiang region, this time along vital transport routes linking the country to South and Central Asia. Analysts said the move underscored Beijing’s focus on governance and security along its far-flung western borders. Sitting in southwestern Xinjiang near the Karakoram Range, Cenling county is a linchpin for China’s frontier security and regional development. Its strategic value stems from its proximity to the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349558/china-has-mapped-out-third-new-county-xinjiang-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349558/china-has-mapped-out-third-new-county-xinjiang-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Samira Muhammadi hopes an international investigation can “extinguish” her pain after a Pakistani bombing killed her son and hundreds of other Afghans in the capital Kabul last month. The March 16 attack hit a drug treatment centre and killed 411 people, according to Afghan officials. A United Nations source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had verified at least 250 killed, with more still missing. “There should be investigations on this … Like me, many mothers lost their sons,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349110/pakistani-strike-killed-her-son-rehab-now-afghan-mother-demands-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349110/pakistani-strike-killed-her-son-rehab-now-afghan-mother-demands-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:14:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Afghanistan aims to increase trade with Central Asian countries to US$10 billion within the next three or four years, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday. Trade with Central Asian countries to Afghanistan’s north came to about US$2.7 billion in 2025, itself a significant increase over previous years, Muttaqi said. He stated Afghanistan’s new trade goal with its neighbours at a “constructive dialogue” meeting in Kabul with representatives from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349095/afghanistan-wants-us10-billion-trade-deals-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349095/afghanistan-wants-us10-billion-trade-deals-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:26:29 +0000 Neeta Lal Neeta Lal As tensions simmer along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier – fuelled by disputes over the contested Durand Line, recurring cross-border strikes and the persistent threat of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters operating from Afghan soil – a subtle but consequential geopolitical shift is under way. India is quietly but steadily stepping up its engagement with the Taliban. The urgency of this recalibration was underscored on March 16, when Pakistani military forces carried out one of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348182/why-india-quietly-deepening-its-engagement-taliban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348182/why-india-quietly-deepening-its-engagement-taliban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wars, including a widening conflict in the Middle East, are heightening risks for aviation as flight corridors are squeezed and drones become more widespread, Europe’s top aviation safety regulator has said. The month-old Iran war is reshaping airspace across the Middle East and increasing disruption to flights, including clogging routes between Asia and Europe that previously transited or ‌flew over the region. On top of the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict and fighting between Pakistan and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348364/iran-war-rogue-drones-force-european-aviation-safety-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348364/iran-war-rogue-drones-force-european-aviation-safety-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:28:23 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava Art Basel Hong Kong remains the leading fair and art event in Asia when it comes to discovering prominent, established and upcoming artists, particularly those who are from Asia or its diaspora. With the new sector, Echoes, featuring curated presentations by three artists or collectives as well as the Asia debut of Zero 10 dedicated to digital art, here is our selection of artists to look out for at the forthcoming fair. Aya Shalkar and Uuriintuya Dagvasambuu Art from Central Asia has been... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3347695/art-basel-hong-kong-previews-open-today-here-are-9-artists-look-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3347695/art-basel-hong-kong-previews-open-today-here-are-9-artists-look-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:00:16 +0000 Kevin Li Kevin Li US importers have cut orders and shifted to short-term contracts amid a global oil crisis triggered by war in the Middle East, according to Hong Kong business leaders, who warn that profit margins are eroding and liquidity is becoming strained. Executive Council member and businessman Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung said on Sunday that the US-Israel war on Iran had driven up fuel costs, raising operating expenses for local firms. He urged the Hong Kong government to bolster ties with Central Asian and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347479/hong-kong-firms-face-profit-squeeze-us-importers-cut-orders-amid-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347479/hong-kong-firms-face-profit-squeeze-us-importers-cut-orders-amid-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:53:31 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Iran’s missile and drone stockpiles will last another two or three months as US-Israeli strikes continue, while the US military is also depleting its interceptors, Chinese analysts have noted. However, how long the war lasts would depend less on stockpiles alone than on the effectiveness of new US deployments and President Donald Trump’s political calculus, one of them cautioned. Iran has continued its attacks on Israel and on US assets across the Middle East since the conflict was triggered on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347212/how-long-will-us-israel-war-iran-last-chinese-analysts-offer-clues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347212/how-long-will-us-israel-war-iran-last-chinese-analysts-offer-clues?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan announced on Wednesday a pause in strikes against Afghanistan, saying the decision was made ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. In a statement, Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar said the pause in strikes on “terrorists and their support infrastructure in Afghanistan” would take effect at midnight on Wednesday and remain in place until midnight on Monday. “Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3347078/pakistan-pause-afghan-strikes-eid-request-saudi-arabia-qatar-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3347078/pakistan-pause-afghan-strikes-eid-request-saudi-arabia-qatar-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:39:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Afghanistan accused Pakistan of killing at least 400 people in an air strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in the Afghan capital late on Monday. It marked a dramatic escalation of a conflict that began late last month and has seen repeated cross-border clashes as well as air strikes inside Afghanistan. International calls for a ceasefire have gone unheeded. Pakistan dismissed the accusation that it had hit a hospital, saying its strikes, which were also conducted in eastern Afghanistan, did... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346806/afghanistan-accuses-pakistan-killing-civilians-fresh-kabul-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346806/afghanistan-accuses-pakistan-killing-civilians-fresh-kabul-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:27:26 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Central Asian governments are leveraging the diplomatic fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran to assert their autonomy and reinforce their long-standing strategy of balancing major powers, according to analysts. For decades, the five former Soviet republics have been seen as Russia’s “backyard”. However, as the conflict in Iran deepens, these nations are moving to recalibrate their geopolitical ties, signalling a shift away from their role as a passive buffer zone for great powers. The shift... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346611/beyond-buffer-zone-how-iran-war-recalibrating-central-asian-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346611/beyond-buffer-zone-how-iran-war-recalibrating-central-asian-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Logistics companies in China are feeling the strain from the US-Israeli war on Iran, as volatile crude prices and disrupted transport routes ripple through global supply chains. With e-commerce cargo stranded in the Middle East and freight rates skyrocketing, industry insiders said they expect the fallout to last months, even as US President Donald Trump signalled the war could end soon. While some saw opportunities in alternative Central Asian corridors, Chinese businesses reliant on the region... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346241/iran-war-hits-trade-hubs-chinas-logistics-firms-scramble-alternatives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346241/iran-war-hits-trade-hubs-chinas-logistics-firms-scramble-alternatives?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Jianne Soriano Jianne Soriano In Ali Nuraly’s words, meeting fellow Kazakhs Xeniya Tregubenko and Marat Zakaryayev in Hong Kong, of all places, was his “destiny”. The trio are the founding team behind Yurt, the new modern Central Asian restaurant in Hong Kong. Located on Elgin Street, in Central, it’s an ode to the cuisines of the region that comprises Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Each had vastly different reasons for moving to Hong Kong: Tregubenko came for university and stayed to work... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3345679/yurt-hong-kong-restaurant-putting-central-asian-cuisine-map?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3345679/yurt-hong-kong-restaurant-putting-central-asian-cuisine-map?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain What began as a US-Israeli assault on Iran is rapidly evolving into a conflict with the potential to spread far beyond the Middle East. Iranian missiles and drones have already struck or reached Turkey and Azerbaijan, while European powers are rushing additional warships, fighter jets and air defences to the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf to contain the fallout. Analysts warn the longer the war continues, the greater the risk that long-simmering regional fault lines – from Kurdish militancy to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345689/how-far-could-war-iran-spread-beyond-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345689/how-far-could-war-iran-spread-beyond-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Azerbaijan warned on Thursday that it was preparing unspecified response measures after a pair of Iranian drones flew across its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave, raising concern about further spillover of the ‌conflict in the Middle East. “These attacks will not remain unanswered,” the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said in a statement. It added that it was investigating the types of drones used in the attack, and “preparing the necessary response measures to protect the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345600/azerbaijan-vows-respond-after-iranian-drones-injure-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345600/azerbaijan-vows-respond-after-iranian-drones-injure-4?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:46:57 +0000 Jawad Khalid Jawad Khalid The latest exchange of air strikes and border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan has once again pushed the region to the brink, reviving a dread among those who have lived through this cycle before, the continuation of a war that never truly ended. The so-called war on terror has been waged for over two decades, with no end in sight. Since 2001, the war has claimed more than 33,000 civilian and security forces lives in Pakistan and displaced millions internally. Yet a fundamental question... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345138/pakistans-forever-war-and-politics-exhaustion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345138/pakistans-forever-war-and-politics-exhaustion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen As missiles fly throughout the Middle East, China is walking a diplomatic tightrope between strategic partner Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with whom it has deep economic ties. All six GCC members have been struck as Tehran has widened its retaliation for US and Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials. Its strikes have also expanded beyond United States’ assets to include landmark buildings and airports, causing death and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345443/china-must-find-path-between-iran-and-gulf-states-tehran-strikes-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345443/china-must-find-path-between-iran-and-gulf-states-tehran-strikes-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:19:08 +0000 Ji Siqi,Mia Nurmamat Ji Siqi,Mia Nurmamat The escalating conflict in the Middle East – which is sending oil prices soaring and disrupting shipping traffic along the Strait of Hormuz – should not pose an immediate threat to China’s crude supply, but will add urgency to the country’s energy security drive, analysts said. Since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran over the weekend, commercial traffic has largely come to a standstill along the Strait of Hormuz – a waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345135/iran-conflict-will-accelerate-chinas-push-become-energy-powerhouse-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345135/iran-conflict-will-accelerate-chinas-push-become-energy-powerhouse-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju For years, India has prided itself on a foreign policy doctrine of “dehyphenation”: maintaining productive, parallel relations with conflicting countries such as Israel, Iran and the Arab Gulf states without letting any one bilateral tie poison the others. That doctrine is now being tested to the limit. The killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by US-Israeli strikes within days of Narendra Modi returning from a high-profile visit to Tel Aviv provided instant ammunition for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345120/iran-conflict-puts-indias-cherished-middle-east-neutrality-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345120/iran-conflict-puts-indias-cherished-middle-east-neutrality-test?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:14 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong’s public airmail services to 24 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia have been affected after a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran forced flight cancellations to two Gulf states and disrupted transit journeys. A Hongkong Post spokesman said on Sunday evening that the department’s airmail services to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were suspended with immediate effect until further notice. “Airmail services transiting through these locations will also be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3345053/hongkong-posts-airmail-services-24-countries-affected-strikes-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3345053/hongkong-posts-airmail-services-24-countries-affected-strikes-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:45:39 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities are locked in a widening tit-for-tat confrontation that neither side seems willing to defuse, analysts said, warning the exchanges risked settling into a prolonged conflict along one of Asia’s most volatile borders. Islamabad has vowed to keep striking military targets inside Afghanistan until the Taliban takes action against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups Pakistan says operate from Afghan soil. Pakistani warplanes... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344965/pakistan-taliban-showdown-risks-becoming-protracted-war-attrition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344965/pakistan-taliban-showdown-risks-becoming-protracted-war-attrition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Central Asia has long been someone else’s crossroads. Squeezed between an overbearing Russia to the north and an increasingly unstable Iran to the west, the region’s landlocked ex-Soviet republics have settled on a different solution: send railways south, through Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, all the way to the Arabian Sea. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – Central Asia’s two largest economies – have in recent months struck preliminary multilateral agreements for the construction of two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344798/central-asias-plan-bypass-russia-and-iran-railways-through-afghanistan-and-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344798/central-asias-plan-bypass-russia-and-iran-railways-through-afghanistan-and-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul on Friday, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring the neighbours at “open war” following months of tit-for-tat clashes. Journalists in Kabul and Kandahar heard blasts and jets overhead until dawn, as Pakistan launched air strikes on the Afghan capital and the southern power base of the Taliban authorities. Pakistan’s latest operation came after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops on Thursday night over... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344796/pakistan-declares-open-war-afghan-taliban-after-morning-strikes-kabul-kandahar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344796/pakistan-declares-open-war-afghan-taliban-after-morning-strikes-kabul-kandahar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 01:01:15 +0000 Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings China’s leading planemaker is redoubling its efforts to boost the international profile of its home-grown jets in 2026, injecting a sizeable amount of capital into a subsidiary carrier as it attempts to widen its planes’ coverage area and attract more overseas buyers. The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), manufacturer of the C909 regional airliner and the company’s flagship narrowbody C919, recently infused 634 million yuan (US$91.76 million) into C909 launch customer... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344157/chinas-c909-jet-gets-international-uplift-funding-adoptive-airline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344157/chinas-c909-jet-gets-international-uplift-funding-adoptive-airline?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan’s claim of killing at least 80 militants in strikes on Afghanistan is “false”, a Taliban government security source told Agence France-Presse on Sunday. “The figure of 80 martyrs given by the Pakistan regime is false and imaginary,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Talal Chaudhry, Pakistan’s deputy interior minister, offered no evidence for his claim in an interview with Geo News that at least 70 militants were killed in the strikes. Pakistan’s state-run media later reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344268/pakistan-targets-militants-afghanistan-testing-doha-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3344268/pakistan-targets-militants-afghanistan-testing-doha-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:07:16 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese railway giants look set to scout Eurasia in the years ahead to build high-speed train lines as the domestic market matures and some countries are more prepared than others for capital-intensive yet transformative ventures, analysts said. Inspired by China-invested projects such as the 142km (88-mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed line in Indonesia and the partly finished 350km (217-mile) Budapest-Belgrade railway, Chinese construction and engineering firms are expected to expand their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A suicide bomber backed by a group of gunmen rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the wall of a security post after troops signalled for it to stop in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold in northwestern Pakistan, causing part of the compound to collapse and killing 11 soldiers and a child, the military and police said on Tuesday. The military said in a statement that the attackers had sought to breach the checkpoint overnight but were thwarted by security forces. It said troops later pursued... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343839/11-soldiers-1-child-killed-pakistan-after-explosive-laden-vehicle-rams-security-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343839/11-soldiers-1-child-killed-pakistan-after-explosive-laden-vehicle-rams-security-post?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:44:11 +0000 Cale Holmes Cale Holmes The United Nations is broke. According to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the institution can’t pay its bills. Members, such as the US, haven’t paid their dues. The UN doesn’t just face a liquidity crisis. An old rule obliges it to pay members back for unspent money, even from dues it never received. The UN Secretariat and some major operations could close by July. The UN is far from ideal. The secretariat and agency headquarters are massive bureaucracies, the General Assembly is widely... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343337/more-funding-un-needs-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343337/more-funding-un-needs-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Central Asian governments are forging ahead with ambitious “smart city” mega-projects to tackle rapid population growth and ageing Soviet-era infrastructure. They are also pulling in much-needed foreign investment, and China’s strong visibility in these projects – while Russia is notably absent – is fuelling debate over whether the region is trying to reduce its economic dependence on Moscow. It comes as competition among major powers in Central Asia is intensifying, with the US-led C5+1... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343192/central-asia-builds-smart-cities-china-it-moving-away-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343192/central-asia-builds-smart-cities-china-it-moving-away-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju The United States’ latest trade deal with India may be linked to a freeze on discounted Russian oil purchases, but analysts say it is unlikely to upset New Delhi’s decades-old defence ties with Moscow. Announcing the agreement last week, US President Donald Trump said tariffs on India imports would be cut from 18 to 50 per cent, tying the reduction to India halting its intake of Russian crude. “India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump said in an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342912/why-us-tariff-deal-cannot-sever-india-russia-defence-ties-structural-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342912/why-us-tariff-deal-cannot-sever-india-russia-defence-ties-structural-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:30:16 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May Central Asia’s water insecurity may seem a distant concern. But its rivers underpin Eurasian trade corridors, sustain global food markets and power regional energy systems. As water stress worsens, this is no longer just an environmental issue but a strategic threat across Eurasia – demanding urgent attention in Beijing, Brussels and beyond. Central Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, accelerating glacier retreat in mountain ranges that act as natural reservoirs. As a result,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341896/why-china-and-europe-should-care-about-central-asias-water-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3341896/why-china-and-europe-should-care-about-central-asias-water-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng A new task force led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will formulate Hong Kong’s first five-year blueprint to align with the nation’s 15th five-year plan, with a political analyst saying the move signals greater government involvement in shaping the city’s development. Lee also said on Monday that he would prioritise visits to Eastern Europe and Central Asia to explore new markets for local businesses, stressing the need to “avoid putting all eggs in one basket” and mitigate risk amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3342077/hong-kong-formulate-first-5-year-plan-align-national-blueprint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3342077/hong-kong-formulate-first-5-year-plan-align-national-blueprint?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:20:52 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Hong Kong will soon transform into a citywide canvas of celebration for the Lunar New Year. But before the scarlet lanterns are lit and the lion dances begin, there is quiet magic in the air. Embrace this brief lull in the city’s tempo as a great time for cultural discovery and quiet renewal. Here are five things to do in Hong Kong this weekend. 1. Tea Round 2026 From January 30 to February 1, PMQ’s Tea Round 2026 festival embraces “Blended” as its theme, gathering tea artisans and enthusiasts... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3341702/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-january-30-february-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3341702/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-january-30-february-1?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 02:34:16 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Monday’s fatal blast at a Chinese restaurant in Kabul has underscored the grave security threat China is facing, not just in Afghanistan but also in wider Central Asia. One potential area of vulnerability is Tajikistan, Central Asia’s poorest country, which has a weak military and a long border with Afghanistan. On the same day as the Kabul bombing, the Chinese embassy in Tajikistan issued a travel warning, telling its citizens and companies to boost security and evacuate from the border region... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341049/why-are-tensions-along-afghan-tajikistan-border-such-headache-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341049/why-are-tensions-along-afghan-tajikistan-border-such-headache-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 02:00:23 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India is watching the unfolding events in Iran with concern as a potential change in government in Tehran could reduce its “strategic manoeuvring space” in the region, even as it continues to confront security challenges posed by arch-rival Pakistan and China, analysts say. On Monday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged that “several thousands” of Iranians had been killed since protests started in late December in Tehran. Human rights groups have claimed that the figure is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340820/unrest-iran-complicates-indias-neighbourhood-first-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340820/unrest-iran-complicates-indias-neighbourhood-first-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:20:27 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China boosted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deals 75 per cent last year to a record US$213.5 billion as the country sought access to raw materials and pivoted investments towards Africa and Central Asia. Energy-related projects in China’s flagship global infrastructure programme more than doubled in the period to US$93.9 billion, led by oil and gas developments, according to the Australia-based Griffith Asia Institute. Overall deal sizes also increased as the BRI shifted further away from an... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340547/china-ramps-belt-and-road-deals-amid-us-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340547/china-ramps-belt-and-road-deals-amid-us-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:17:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A blast at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, emergency services said. An Agence France-Presse journalist saw police vehicles and an ambulance at the scene following the explosion on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area. Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion occurred at the Chinese Noodle restaurant, which he said mainly served Chinese Muslims. “A Chinese Muslim, Ayub, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340473/explosion-chinese-restaurant-kabul-kills-7-injures-dozen-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340473/explosion-chinese-restaurant-kabul-kills-7-injures-dozen-more?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:58:11 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative gained further traction in 2025, with a record US$213.5 billion of new deals signed as projects in metals, mining, fossil fuels and new technologies surged, a report by the Griffith Asia Institute has found. The value of new deals confirmed under China’s global infrastructure strategy rose 75 per cent last year compared with 2024, with a notable pivot towards investment in Africa and Central Asia, according to the report released on Sunday. China has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340442/china-signs-record-us213-billion-new-belt-and-road-deals-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340442/china-signs-record-us213-billion-new-belt-and-road-deals-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on countries that do business with Iran has dented India’s ambition for the strategic Chabahar port and affected New Delhi’s trade with Tehran. Trump’s latest threat could curtail shipments of Indian basmati rice to Iran, but is likely to have a limited impact on India’s trade competitiveness since Iran accounts for about 0.3 per cent of its overall exports, according to analysts. Shipments of the rice, one of India’s biggest... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339997/indias-aim-diversify-trade-iran-faces-us-tariff-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339997/indias-aim-diversify-trade-iran-faces-us-tariff-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au While Hongkongers scout remote destinations for their first holiday in 2026, a journey of discovery for the palate is now on offer closer to home. Yurt, newly opened on SoHo’s Elgin Street, is bringing the hitherto unexplored flavours of Central Asia to the heart of the city, proving you don’t need a boarding pass to be an adventurous gourmand. In a dining scene that prides itself on diversity, Central Asia has remained conspicuously absent from the many menus on offer in Hong Kong. For the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3339140/first-look-yurt-hong-kongs-first-modern-central-asian-restaurant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3339140/first-look-yurt-hong-kongs-first-modern-central-asian-restaurant?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:02:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nearly three months since border clashes prompted the closure of land crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, university students, merchants and families are left hanging with no way of getting back. “We miss our parents and relatives,” said Shah Faisal, 25, who studies medicine at an Afghan university and was hoping to visit his family back in Pakistan during winter break. But the border has been shut since October 12, leaving many like him with no viable option of making it home. Flights... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3338652/afghanistan-pakistan-border-closure-leaves-thousands-stranded-we-miss-our-parents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3338652/afghanistan-pakistan-border-closure-leaves-thousands-stranded-we-miss-our-parents?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 03:58:50 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Wang Nan, a hardware trader in China’s eastern city of Yiwu, expected her business to feel some pain when the US-China trade war escalated in April. “Last year, we still had many American clients, but the tariffs changed everything,” she said. Yet, Wang’s firm not only survived a rollercoaster year – which at one point saw US tariffs soar to triple-digit levels – it has emerged even stronger. An aggressive push to find new buyers in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa paid off. In the end,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Smoke from charcoal grills hangs over rows of food stalls as vendors at a Kuala Lumpur mall skewer lamb and pull long strands of noodles by hand, with the smell of cumin and chilli filling the evening air. At an outdoor area of 1 Utama Shopping Mall, dishes from China’s Muslim heartlands – Lanzhou beef noodles, Xinjiang lamb skewers, hand-grabbed lamb and others – are drawing steady crowds at a Chinese Muslim food festival, now in its third year. The growing popularity of the festival is a sign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338263/muslim-businesses-china-target-malaysia-global-halal-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338263/muslim-businesses-china-target-malaysia-global-halal-gateway?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:14:36 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The world’s longest expressway tunnel has opened to traffic in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, capping five years of construction on a project designed to increase China’s links with Central Asia. The 22.13km (13.75-mile) Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the centrepiece of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, officially opened on Friday, creating a 20-minute drive through the Tianshan Mountains that divide northern and southern Xinjiang. The tunnel halves the travel time between the regional capital Urumqi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337815/chinas-mega-expressway-tunnel-opens-xinjiang-halves-north-south-travel-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337815/chinas-mega-expressway-tunnel-opens-xinjiang-halves-north-south-travel-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:11 +0000 Ji Siqi,Xiaofei Xu Ji Siqi,Xiaofei Xu In an effort to further promote the internationalisation of China’s currency, Beijing has pledged to expand the use of its digital yuan, including by establishing a cross-border payment pilot with Singapore. The measures, announced by the People’s Bank of China on Wednesday, are tied to a broader financial support plan for China’s New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor – a trade and logistics network, launched in 2017, that links landlocked cities in western China with hundreds of global... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337642/china-expands-digital-yuan-push-singapore-and-asean-trade-routes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3337642/china-expands-digital-yuan-push-singapore-and-asean-trade-routes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:30:09 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan As Washington, Kyiv, Moscow and European capitals negotiate an agreement for a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire, debate has snapped back to familiar questions: how much land Ukraine should surrender, what security guarantees can be offered and when sanctions might be lifted. Lost in this argument is a quieter reality. After more than three years of war, the sanctions regime has created a profitable shadow economy from the South Caucasus to the Gulf – one that now has a vested interest in keeping the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337340/how-wests-sanctions-against-russia-are-fuelling-protracted-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337340/how-wests-sanctions-against-russia-are-fuelling-protracted-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam From auspicious horse-themed phrases and couplets to whether your luck is in, check out our Year of the Horse 2026 series to discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year. For Yurt’s Kazakh founder, Ali Nuraly, opening a Central Asian restaurant in Hong Kong without horsemeat was not an option. After all, the consumption of horsemeat holds a deep, practical heritage in Central Asia and is rooted in nomadic traditions. For millennia, horses were not merely transport but vital... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3337319/new-hong-kong-restaurant-yurt-brings-kazakhstans-horsemeat-tradition-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3337319/new-hong-kong-restaurant-yurt-brings-kazakhstans-horsemeat-tradition-city?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:15:13 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan will host the leaders of five Central Asian countries in Tokyo this week, a meeting analysts say is meant to show that “Japan is back” as an active player in a region where global powers are competing for influence, minerals and transport routes. The summit with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, is also expected to consolidate Tokyo’s long-standing but “often underestimated role” in Central Asia as a trusted and non-coercive... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336861/japan-back-central-asia-new-summit-ai-minerals-and-transport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336861/japan-back-central-asia-new-summit-ai-minerals-and-transport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it was expanding travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, doubling the number of nations affected by sweeping limits announced earlier this year on who can travel and emigrate to the US. The Trump administration included five more countries as well as people travelling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority to the list of countries facing a full ban on travel to the US and imposed new limits on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3336687/trump-expands-us-travel-ban-and-restrictions-include-another-20-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3336687/trump-expands-us-travel-ban-and-restrictions-include-another-20-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:49:56 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Despite a high-level phone call between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 2025 is likely to end without the long-promised US-India trade deal, as the “America first” leader continues to stall the agreement while working to cement improved ties with Beijing. The call came just days after Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the Indian Prime Minister described his conversation with Trump as “warm and engaging” in a social media post,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:00:52 +0000