Central Asia

Tavan Tolgoi holds estimated reserves of 7.5 billion tons of coking coal.  (Photo by  Byamba-Ochir Byambadorj)
Commodities

Mongolia revives plan for billion-dollar coal mine IPO

Government yet to choose overseas venue for Tavan Tolgoi listing

28 June 2018
A Chinese flag is seen on the end of a railway track at the Khorgos Gateway in Khazakstan. The country is trying to diversity sources of inward investment.
Opinion

Kazakh foreign investment must not come from only one source

Companies from Japan, South Korea and Malaysia besides China are all welcome

19 June 2018
From left, Mongolia’s former prime minister, Batbold Sukhbaatar; Deputy Finance Minister Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar; Erdembileg Ochirkhuu, first deputy governor of the central bank; and Zorigt Dashdorj, adviser to the minister of Foreign Affairs, discuss the prospects and potential for the country's economy, on June 12 in Tokyo. (Photo by Taro Yokosawa)
The Future of Asia 2018

Commodities recovery tests Mongolia's commitment to reform

Senior officials claim progress on financial stability and diversification

12 June 2018
Former Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold speaks about the growth potential of smaller economies at the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on June 11. (Photo by Taro Yokosawa) 
11 June 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 8.
International relations

China-led Shanghai grouping offers challenge to G-7

From North Korea to Iran, the SCO's unity contrasts with Western rancor

9 June 2018
Aisholpan Nurgaiv starred in the 2016 documentary "The Eagle Huntress." (Photo by Odbayar Urkhensuren)
Life

A girl and her eagle help bridge Mongolian ethnic divisions

Documentary on huntress sparks interest in once-spurned minority

3 June 2018
GDP per capita in Kazakhstan, left, is approximately seven times the level in Kyrgyzstan. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images/Nikkei)
Economy

Central Asia's north-south divide

The numbers behind the differing fortunes of five former Soviet republics

31 May 2018
A Taiwanese student, right, practices serving customers at a Lawson convenience store in Tokyo. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story

Part-time saviors: Foreign students help plug Japan's labor gap

Convenience stores and delivery companies are among the biggest beneficiaries

30 May 2018
GDP per capita in Kazakhstan, left, is approximately seven times the level in Kyrgyzstan. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images/Nikkei)
Datawatch

Central Asia's north-south divide

The numbers behind the differing fortunes of five former Soviet republics

21 May 2018
Construction site at Chinese side of the China-Kazakhstan Khorgos International Border Cooperation Center in Khorgos.
17 May 2018
KDDI aims to expand its telecom offerings in Southeast Asia and develop new services for Japan.
Companies

With Southeast Asia in sight, KDDI sets aside $2bn for investment

Philippines and Vietnam cited as potential destinations

10 May 2018
Ipoteka Bank, which has issued stock and bonds domestically, could be a candidate to issue international debt. (Photo by Ikrom Nosirov)
Capital Markets

Uzbekistan takes reform story to bond investors

Central Asian state prepares for $1bn international debt market debut

1 May 2018
A new railway connecting Iran's Astara with Azerbaijan, which opened in late March, is a key link along the International North-South Transport Corridor. (© Nikkei montage)
26 April 2018
A new railway connecting Iran's Astara with Azerbaijan, which opened in late March, is a key link along the International North-South Transport Corridor. (© Nikkei montage)
Asia Insight

India and China jostle for influence in Iran and Central Asia

New Delhi's 7,000km transport corridor cuts across Beijing's Belt and Road

24 April 2018
Railroads and highways have been found to generate more tax revenues because of increased economic activity.
Opinion

Offer infrastructure investors a share of the tax take

Governments can raise subsidies by taking account of the full economic benefits

17 April 2018
A recent ADB report says, "The anxiety over automation is overblown."
Economy

Automation not a threat to Asian workers, says ADB

Chief economist says new trade pacts will offset impact of US-China tariff fight

12 April 2018
A Chinese construction worker at the site of a Chinese-backed hotel complex in Colombo in October 2015
The Big Story

Is China's Belt and Road working? A progress report from eight countries

Beijing's infrastructure push clouded by project delays and mounting debt

28 March 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, at the Presidential Palace in Astana in June 2017
International relations

Linking China to the EU's 'gateway' for exporters

Kazakhstan seeks to become part of China's supply chain, while Poland seeks infrastructure funding

28 March 2018
Thailand hopes more trade with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union will contribute to the growth of its Eastern Economic corridor. (Getty Images)
26 February 2018
Mining heavyweight BHP Billiton recently upgraded its Olympic Dam copper facility (AAP Image)
Business

Australian miners ramp up investment in electric-vehicle metals

Copper and lithium among targets for spending as demand and prices climb

22 February 2018
An Indonesian Muslim holds up a poster during a rally calling for the arrest of Jakarta's then-incumbent governor Basuki Purnama.
Politics

Democracy rankings put Asia in poor standing

Six of seven regions around the world slipped in freedoms for 2017

8 February 2018
An Indonesian Muslim holds up a poster during a rally calling for the arrest of Jakarta's then-incumbent governor Basuki Purnama.
Politics

Democratic conditions 'fall sharply' in Asia

Region regresses as minorities suffer in Indonesia and Myanmar, says think tank

1 February 2018
A boy sells umbrellas printed with Pakistan's flag at a market in Karachi last July. Safety in the city has improved dramatically.
Economy

Pakistan keeps terrorists on the run and the economy on a roll

Sweeping security push helps improve growth and business sentiment

1 February 2018
Kairat Umarov serves as Kazakhstan's ambassador to the United Nations.
International relations

Former nuclear power Kazakhstan shares lessons for North Korea

UN ambassador highlights benefits of denuclearization, harm suffered by testing

30 January 2018
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who has expressed his country's willingness to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
International relations

Widodo cements Muslim credentials during South Asia tour

Indonesian president turns away from insular policy and strives for world leadership

29 January 2018