China is planning to deploy a constellation of over 1,000 remote-sensing satellites to observe Central Asia, according to China’s official news outlets Xinhua and The People’s Daily.
The first batch of five satellites of the Tianwu Constellation is expected to be launched into orbit by the end of 2026.The project is presented as a combined initiative with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, with a declared purpose of monitoring environmental developments and reducing the potential harm caused by natural disasters and climate change.
However, remote-sensing satellites are known as “eyes in the sky” capable of collecting all sorts of data for civil or military purposes.Notably, the satellites will belong to China, and all the collected data will be processed in the PRC; Central Asian states will have limited access to it.
More about Central Asia … Kai-Fu Lee, the head of 01.AI, a startup based in Beijing and backed by Alibaba and Xiaomi, organized a “strategic seminar” for the Kazakh government attended by most members of the Cabinet of Ministers and many other top officials.
The seminar sought to influence officials on what AI model to choose, and how to implement and use it.US and Chinese AI models, which differ markedly, are competing for predominance in Central Asia.
Kai-Fu Lee is a member of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Artificial Intelligence Council, advising the head of the Kazakh state on AI-related matters.In addition, China’s Beijing Zhongguancun Tongli Technology Service Co., Ltd signed a deal with Kazakhstan’s Astana AI Film Festival Foundation to jointly finance, produce and distribute AI-generated media content, reports Kazinform.
China is expanding cooperation with Central Asian states in water management.Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation signed a deal with the PRC’s embassy in Astana for the Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation and the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power to start a joint degree program under which Kazakh water-management professionals will be able to study in the PRC, reports DKNews.kz.
The deal also includes a provision to set up a joint training center.Elsewhere, Uzbekistan’s officials from Ministry of Water Management met with China’s Beijing Hrunan Technology Co., Ltd.
to explore upgrading water management infrastructure in the Jizzakh region, writes Uzbekistan’s official news agency UzA.Kazakhstan The head of Kazakhstan’s Abai region announced the signing of MoUs with China’s DDS Group for the construction of an industrial park worth $1.5 billion.
Officials also revealed that China’s Jiachen Group had a deal in place for the construction of an aluminum smelter worth $1 billion.Details of the agreements, such as the source of funding and ownership of the projects, were not immediately revealed.
The Beijing-controlled mining giant China Nonferrous Metal Mining (CNMC) has set up a new subsidiary in Kazakhstan, GLY Minerals Ltd.Given the scale of the projects implemented by CNMC’s other subsidiaries in Kazakhstan one is building a $1.56 billion copper smelter in the Abai region and another owning 70 percent of a company that mines copper in the Aktobe region, and in which CNMC intends to invest $600 million the new subsidiary is likely intended to undertake a large-scale project.
Kyrgyzstan Eldik Bank, a Kyrgyz government-owned entity, will borrow up to 1 billion yuan (just under $150 million) from the China Development Bank, writes Economist.kg.Eldik Bank plans to use the funds to “finance small and medium-sized enterprises in such sectors as infrastructure, green energy, industry and agriculture, according to the Economist.kg report. “It is particularly significant that domestic entrepreneurs will gain access to the long-term financial resources needed to modernize production facilities,” it adds.
Turkmenistan Three Turkmen universities signed agreements with China’s Ministry of Education to launch Chinese language classes in Turkmenistan, as well as “conduct joint research and educational activities, expand cultural ties, and create a unified educational, cultural, and information space,” writes Turkmen Portal.
Meanwhile, China’s ambassador to Ashgabat awarded 10 Turkmen citizens scholarships to study in the PRC, reports the Turkmen government’s official website.China has launched freight rail service that connects its central Qinghai Province with Turkmenistan’s Balkan region.
The Turkmen region is a hub for the onward transit of goods bound for Iran, Turkey and European markets, according to Orient.tm.The inaugural train of 55 containers will take 14-15 days to reach its destination.
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan’s Association of Textile and Garment Industry Enterprises signed an MoU with the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corp.to promote “long-term development of mutually beneficial partnerships,” reports UzDaily.uz.