Central Asia claims zero cases of coronavirus, but the economic symptoms are everywhere. This and more in our monthly briefing on Chinese business in the region.
The country is banking on new hydropower projects to solve energy problems. But the communities most affected don’t trust government assurances that the dams will be safe.
In our monthly Russian business briefing: Uzbekistan dithers, Azerbaijan offers a backdoor to Europe, and the rocket that fell on Kazakhstan will not frustrate a new $1 billion test range.
What do these three things have in common: a Kyrgyz gold mine, a Malaysian Ponzi scheme, and canned camel milk? If you said the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing wants a word with you.
Last year Uzbekistan lifted a ban on individuals prospecting for gold. In a remote corner of Navoi province, locals and Chinese have not wasted time getting into business.
Three years since the Eurasian Union unveiled a grand plan to build a unified digital agenda, there is little sign that member governments are interested in the program.