Uzbekistan poised to start trials on Chinese COVID-19 vaccine 5,000 people are taking part in the trials. Dec 10, 2020
Kyrgyzstan: Protests flourish as crises mount on all sides Acting President Japarov came to power on the crest of rallies, but will he know how to deal with them as leader? Nov 2, 2020
Perspectives | How U.S. hawks’ fixation on Iran endangers Middle East Christians A facile and naïve plan being discussed in Washington risks backfiring on Iran’s minority Christians. Eldar Mamedov Oct 31, 2020
Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict poses threat to regional energy corridor While it would be wrong to start pointing fingers and formulating conspiracy theories, clearly the risks are many and real. David O'Byrne Oct 9, 2020
Uzbekistan to take part in COVID-19 vaccine trials Officials say Uzbekistan plans to produce its own vaccine when tests are done. Sep 30, 2020
Tajikistan: Secret Chinese base becomes slightly less secret Chinese personnel, whose presence Dushanbe denies, forbid reporters from filming. Sep 23, 2020
Central Asia: Belt and Road takes back seat in Chinese envoy’s tour Beijing is eager to show solidarity as the coronavirus pandemic rumbles on. Chris Rickleton Sep 16, 2020
Abkhazia calls for volunteers to help with COVID outbreak Many in the territory blame the rising numbers of coronavirus cases on the authorities’ decision to open up to Russian tourists. Joshua Kucera Aug 19, 2020
Kazakhstan squeezes China critics as Xinjiang anxieties spread Kazakh activists are outraged at how their government kowtows to Beijing. Chris Rickleton Aug 10, 2020
Kazakhstan to merge pneumonia and coronavirus cases, but only from Aug. 1 234,000 pneumonia cases from earlier this year will not be included in the tally. Almaz Kumenov Jul 23, 2020
Chinese business briefing: Getting back on track Beijing wants its neighbors to believe it is not abandoning them. Niva Yau Jul 6, 2020
Abkhazia leader meets Putin hoping for Russian bailout As coronavirus cripples the territory’s tourism season and Russia has stopped sending aid, Abkhazia faces a 10 percent GDP decline this year. Joshua Kucera Jun 25, 2020
Tajikistan sees unusual protests, authorities react with force Chinese workers rallied with a demand to be allowed to travel home. May 21, 2020
Infodemic infects Chinese-Russian relations The pandemic is undermining official efforts in China and Russia to foster mutual amity. Xiaofei Xu Apr 12, 2020
Abkhazia elects new leader The vote went ahead in spite of the global coronavirus outbreak; although Abkhazia hasn’t recorded any cases, election officials took pains that the disease couldn’t be spread by voting. Joshua Kucera Mar 23, 2020