Tag Archives: Central Asia

The Central Asian Alphabet Issue  It remains too soon to comment in detail on the current upheaval in Kazakhstan as it is simply impossible to figure out what is happening, with multiple conflicting accounts and claims coming from many sources. Rather I want to comment on a deeper question that has been brought up in connection with this, although not central to it, but one that affects Kazakhstan’s Central Asian neighbors as well: what alphabet...

Backgrounder. More complicated than meets the eye. As always, it about money and power.Asia TimesThe Afghanistan ‘peace deal’ riddle Pepe Escobar

Central Asia, between China and Europe, is bustling Take the tour with Pepe.Asia TimesAt China-Kazakh border: New Silk Roads in action Pepe Escobar

As Valdai Club top analyst Yaroslav Lissovolik told me, there was much discussion “on the state of play in emerging markets in light of the developments associated with the US-China trade stand-off.” What emerged was the necessity of embracing “open regionalism” as a factor to neutralize “the negative protectionist trends in the global economy.” This translates as regional blocks along a vast South-South axis harnessing their huge potential “to counter protections pressures”, with...

Backgrounder.  It's complicated. The US doesn't do nuance.Asia TimesThe Syria connection to Iran, Afghanistan and China Pepe Escobar