Central Asia: News & Insights - Nikkei Asia

    Central Asia

    21 October 2026
    Kazakh sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, which operates out of these buildings in Astana, has been raising funds through yuan bonds this year. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) 
    Vietjet passengers were given souvenirs on the airline's first-ever flight outside Asia-Pacific when an Airbus A330 flew from Hanoi to Prague in the Czech Republic via Almaty in Kazakhstan on Oct. 10. (Vietjet)
    Transportation

    Vietjet's maiden Prague flight reveals Vietnamese carrier's global ambition

    Budget airline prepares more European flights, taps growing underserved markets

    12 October 2026
    The Uzbek president's elder daughter Saida Mirziyoyeva, in black, is the governor of Tashkent International Financial Centre. She is pictured here attending the listing ceremony of Uzbekistan's investment fund, UzNIF, in London in May. She is also the head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan. (Screenshot from Saida Mirziyoyeva's X account)
    Markets

    Uzbek finance hub heats up Central Asia investment race

    Investor interest rises faster than local market depth as Kyrgyzstan adds contender

    30 September 2026
    Ukraine’s drones hit targets at a location given as Black Sea, in a screengrab taken from a handout video released July 17, 2026. (Commander of Unmanned Aerial Systems Force/Handout via Reuters) 
    Energy

    Kazakh oil producers weigh new trans-Caspian route to avoid Russia

    Option of subsea pipeline or tanker fleet expansion being considered in study

    28 September 2026
    The J-10C is a fourth-generation fighter that costs around $60 million per plane, much less than Western alternatives. (China Ministry of National Defense)
    Defense

    China sells J-10C fighter jet to Uzbekistan, eyes more markets for weapons

    Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt show interest as Beijing looks to expand influence

    10 September 2026
    Kaspi is hoping to offer more banking services on its Hepsiburada app in Turkey. (Photo by Yuji Murakami)
    Technology

    Kazakhstan's Kaspi expands Turkey digital offerings after bank deal

    Rabobank unit buy boosts fintech for superapp as it offers shopping loans on Hepsiburada

    2 September 2026
    Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization pose for a photo before holding a summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Sept. 1. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters) 
    International relations

    China's Xi pitches AI hub as SCO casts itself as pillar of stability

    Beijing woos developing nations with promises of deeper tech coordination, projects

    1 September 2026
    Chinese President Xi Jinping is met by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov upon his arrival in Bishkek for the SCO summit on Aug. 30. (Kyrgyzstan's Presidential Press Office via AP)
    International relations

    China-led SCO gathers in Kyrgyzstan as Iran tensions test its reach

    Eurasian leaders to weigh trade, AI and connectivity alongside conflicts

    31 August 2026
    Participants gather at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China, in September 2025. The leaders of China, Russia, India and Iran will meet in Kyrgyzstan for this year's edition on Aug. 31.
    Your Week in Asia

    Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Semicon Taiwan, Shein listing

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

    30 August 2026
    Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev casts his ballot at a polling station during a parliamentary election in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Aug. 23.
    Opinion

    Kazakhstan, the world's most important hedger, bets on stability

    Tokayev consolidates power to preserve a balance between China, Russia and the US

    26 August 2026
    Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emerges from a voting booth in Astana on Aug. 23 during a snap parliamentary election he called.
    Politics

    Kazakhstan's Tokayev tightens grip on power after snap election

    New constitution gives leader say over positions and lawmakers speed to enact his agenda

    25 August 2026
    Kyrgyzstan says that its Toktogul hydropower plant was the source of the power trip. (Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic)
    Energy

    Blackout tests Central Asia push for deeper power grid, data centers

    New computing loads, winter deficit, probes weigh on electricity market plan

    24 August 2026
    Baku’s Flame Towers rise above the Old City, highlighting the contrast between the Azerbaijani capital’s historic and modern architecture.
    Destinations

    Footloose in Baku: East meets West in Azerbaijan's capital

    Where to eat, wander and soak up culture in this Caspian crossroads

    23 August 2026
    Saudi Arabia-backed TAS-1 is being built in Tashkent by DataVolt and its first phase will be completed by year-end. (DataVolt)
    Artificial intelligence

    Starting gun for Central Asia data center race triggered

    Saudi-backed Uzbek project to open year-end; Nvidia-supported Kazakh campus takes shape

    3 August 2026
    On the outskirts of Bishkek, a game of kok-boru, in which players on horseback compete to seize a goat carcass, is played against the backdrop of the Tien Shan mountains, showing how Nomadic culture, once thought to be fading, is instead evolving. (Photo by Shun Kato)
    Destinations

    Kyrgyzstan ruins reveal Silk Road melting pot of faiths and empires

    Excavation uncovers traces of ancient past, drawing Chinese interest

    1 August 2026
    Uzbekistan has high solar energy potential as it enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine each year. (ACWA Power)
    Energy

    Uzbekistan draws new-energy investors in move away from gas

    Saudi, UAE and Japanese investors eye opportunity in wind and sun

    17 July 2026
    As Russia tightens energy exports after Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries, Kyrgyzstan is facing shortages of premium-grade gasoline, with consumers now turning to standard grade. (Photo by Ilkham Umarakhunov)
    Energy

    Russia fuel crisis spills over to Central Asia as drone strikes bite

    Kyrgyzstan hunts for suppliers, Uzbek prices climb, Kazakhstan guards its market

    9 July 2026
    A model of the new airport near Tashkent. (Press Service of the President of Uzbekistan)
    Transportation

    Uzbek plan to open up aviation unfolds with new airport, airline IPO

    Japan, South Korea, Saudi investors break ground on new hub near Tashkent

    8 July 2026
    State-owned Kazakhstan Temir Zholy operates about 16,000 kilometers of railway covering the country's 17 regions. (Screenshot from KTZ's YouTube page)
    Caixin

    Kazakhstan railway operator files for Hong Kong IPO

    Kazakhstan Temir Zholy to use proceeds to construct rail link with China

    4 July 2026
    Senegal's Sadio Mane drives forward in his country's 3-2 victory against Belgium in Seattle on July 1. Senegal was one of nine African teams to make the Round of 32.
    World Cup 2026

    Africa shows the way as Asia gets World Cup reality check

    European experience and diaspora talent expose structural gaps holding Asian soccer back

    2 July 2026
    Taxis from VinFast-backed Green SM roll through Almaty, Kazakhstan. Green SM accounts for about 13% of VinFast's electric vehicle sales. (VinFast)
    Electric vehicles

    VinFast-backed taxi service enters Kazakhstan in Central Asia push

    Move highlights corporate Vietnam's recognition of Kazakhstan's growth potential

    24 June 2026
    China accounts for 70% of the world's rare-earth production and controls 90% of the processing and refining. (Nikkei montage/source photos by Reuters)
    Materials

    Kazakhstan enters rare earths, minerals race as China alternative

    Central Asian country has deposits and mining expertise, but processing remains difficult

    19 June 2026
    Eve Energy, a Shenzhen-listed lithium-ion battery manufacturer, has announced that its net profit for the half year will likely be up by 95% to 110% from the previous year.
    Energy

    From oil to batteries, Chinese energy companies flag first-half windfalls

    After war pushed up crude prices, CITIC Resources and US-blacklisted Eve Energy see profits doubling

    16 June 2026
    Uzbekistan lost a pre-World Cup friendly 2-1 against the Netherlands at Icahn Stadium in New York on June 8. (Uzbekistan Football Association)
    World Cup 2026

    Uzbek World Cup debut shows maturity as clubs seek private funding

    Soccer success spurred by state reform but next step could be painful

    12 June 2026
    Uzbekistan's Abdukodir Khusanov plays in a World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Tashkent on June 10, 2025.
    Sports

    World Cup preview: Uzbekistan aims to put Central Asia on football's map

    Debutants seek to turn years of investment into a breakthrough for the region

    3 June 2026
    The Kyrgyz economy boomed under the leadership of former friends President Sadyr Japarov, right, and his security chief Kamchybek Tashiev. (Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic) 
    Politics

    Kyrgyzstan indictment of former security head clouds 2027 election

    Fall of President Japarov ally, Tashiev, tests political system and economic model

    1 June 2026
    A rendering of a hospital to be built in Australia with involvement by Capella Capital Partnership, a subsidiary of Sojitz. (Capella Capital Partnership)
    Companies

    Japan's Sojitz turns to Australia, Uzbekistan for investment wins

    Trading house seeks to shed image as poor investor with public-private projects

    28 May 2026
    People walk past Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent: Uzbekistan's economy has grown steadily for a decade, helped by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's reform program.
    Opinion

    Uzbekistan fund's IPO taps growing interest from global investors

    While economic growth is strong, more work is needed to entrench reforms

    19 May 2026
    Stairs thought to be part of a Dayun temple excavated among the Ak-Beshim ruins in Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Shun Kato)
    Arts

    Japan-Kyrgyz team finds ruins linked to China's only female emperor

    Kyrgyzstan site believed to be temple built during Tang Dynasty's westward push

    17 May 2026
    Uzbekistan Airways is one of the assets held by UzNIF, which is due to list in Tashkent and London on May 18. 
    IPO

    Uzbek IPO oversubscribed, as investors jump at privatization play

    Tashkent-London listing paves way for assets, like Uzbekistan Airways, to launch

    13 May 2026