In recent years, Uzbekistan-China relations have consistently risen to a new level, deepening political trust and economic integration. Abbos Bobokhonov and Mokhinur Khasanova, an undergraduate student at UWED and an IAIS volunteer, note

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Abbos Bobokhonov describes Chinese direct investment in Central Asia as a rapidly growing trend, but one that is uneven in terms of quality and impact. Against the backdrop of a nearly twofold increase in China’

In his article, Timur Dadabaev analyzes the evolution of Japan’s policy toward Central Asia, noting that in 2025 Tokyo placed particular emphasis on cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence within the Central Asia + Japan format

Strategic Research of the Asia-Pacific Region in 2025 is the annual publication of the Asia-Pacific Studies Department of the Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS). The report presents a selection of research-based assessments addressing the most r

In an article published in the Chinese People’s Daily, Madina Alimova, a Leading Research Fellow at the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, provides a detailed analytical overview of Uzbek-Chinese cooperation in poverty reduction, considering it one o

The brief by Abdugani Karimov examines Japan’s political trajectory after the appointment of Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s first female prime minister in October 2025.  It frames her leadership as a shift from cautious pacifism towa

The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30, 2025, in Busan marked the first in-person contact between the two leaders since 2019 and was widely regarded as an important indicator of the current state of US-China trade relations.

The 4th Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded in Beijing, approving the “Recommendations on the Formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan for Socio-Economic Development of the PRC (2026–2030)”. The plenary rea

In an interview with UzA, Dr. Abbos Bobokhonov emphasized UNESCO’s role in strengthening global cooperation in education, science, culture, and information, and noted that collaboration with Uzbekistan has been consistently expanding in terms of content and scope.

A Historic Victory for Japan

On October 4, 2025, Sanae Takaichi secured victory in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, defeating Shinjiro Koizumi by 185 to 156 votes

By Fayziddin Qutbiddinov

The latest SCO summit, held in China in 2025, represents an important stage in the development of multilateral diplomacy in Eurasia. Against the backdrop of intensifying competition among global and major powers and

In a wide-ranging interview with the Eurasian System Science Research Association (ESSRA), Odil Gafarov, Deputy Director of the Institute for Advanced International Studies, offered a comprehensive analysis of Central Asia’s evolving role in the gl

By Abbos Bobokhonov & Ubaydullo Khojabekov

The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held from 31 August to 1 September 2025 in Tianjin, marked a turning point in the organisation’s history in terms of both scale and political signi

Abbos Bobokhonov, Head of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at IAIS, discussed on the television program “Studio 24” the significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the context of the transformation of the global system of intern

The Centre for European Security Studies’ EU–Central Asia Monitoring initiative has released a new episode of its podcast series “A Chat in the Yurt”, featuring Professor Timur Dadabaev, Senior Associate Fellow at

The visit of Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to Central Asian states was closely linked to Tokyo’s domestic political and economic agenda. The trip was seen as a preparatory stage for the C5+Japan summit and was intended to give new substance to Japan’s engagement with the reg

The recent article coauthored by Prof. Timur Dadabaev and his colleagues for Central Asian Affairs (Brill, 2025) offers a fresh and critical examination of an emerging migratory trend that upends longstanding regional patterns. The authors analy

Recently, economic and political rivalry between China and the US, including the trade war, has become a key factor in world politics. The global order formed during the era of globalization is being destabilized. The conflict between the two leading global economic players affects the entire wor

By Ubaydullo Khojabekov, IAIS volunteer

The recent protests in Los Angeles, sparked by the Trump administration’s tightening of immigration policy, have caused a huge stir both inside and outside the US. This situation is being discussed particularly actively in the

Abbos Bobokhonov, Head of the IAIS’s Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies, emphasized the importance of the tariff negotiations between the United States and China in London in an interview with Kun.uz. According to him, the composition of the representatives who partic

In an interview with Paradigma.uz, Nargiza Umarova notes that various clashes and conflicts around the world have a significant impact on Uzbekistan’s transport routes. According to her, Russia’s military actions against Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East

The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) under the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), in cooperation with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and Fudan University, convened an international online conference titled “China’s Chairmanship in the SCO

The 14th government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), led by incumbent President Massoud Pezeshkian, is noticeably strengthening its pragmatic Central Asian policy. The main focus of regional interaction is aimed at developing trade and transportation and logistics links. This goal is in har

Dr. Abbos Bobokhonov’s article, published in the China Currents journal by the China Research Center in Atlanta (Georgia, USA), offers a detailed and nuanced analysis of how the recent Third Plenum of the Communist Party of China

According to World Bank estimates, Central Asian countries remain among the least connected economies in the world, has a negative impact on their well-being. At the same time, the region's share of global revenues from transport service exports does not exceed 1%. For this reason, creating and p

A regular podcast dedicated to current integration processes and prospects for regional cooperation in Central Asia has been aired. Nargiza Umarova, Senior Research Fellow at IAIS, took part in this program as a guest. With her sectoral experience and analyses, she provi

Nargiza Umarova’s new publication presents a comprehensive examination of the evolving role of Afghanistan as a potential transit hub within the emerging transcontinental trade architecture. Under the Taliban’s stewardship, Afghan authorities have embraced a

A detailed interview with Nargiza Umarova has been published on the website of the Azerbaijan State News Agency AZERTAC, which provides a detailed coverage of current trends in the development of transport and logistics links between Central Asia and the South Caucasus,

Nargiza Umarova, Senior Research Fellow at IAIS, took part in the edition of the programme Central Asian Dream on the YouTube platform Questioning Regional Affairs of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. A distinctive feat

Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin, who is on an official visit to Kabul, said that Astana will invest $500 million in the Trans-Afghan railway project. These funds will most likely be used to construction the Torghundi-Herat railway (113 km), which is being designed by the Afg

In recent months, we have witnessed the adoption of unprecedented tariff policies by the US to many countries that have trade surplus with the US, especially against China. Based on Donald Trump’s campaign speeches, it was known that he would adopt a tough trade policy towards Beijing when

In her commentary, Nargiza Umarova emphasizes the growing multidirectionality and uncertainty in Uzbekistan’s strategy for the development of trans-Afghan transport corridors. Noting the intensification of work on the feasibility study of two routes – Kabul a

Nargiza Umarova examines Uzbekistan’s proactive efforts in shaping a new transport architecture among the Turkic states. She highlights how the country’s strategic location and policy initiatives have enabled it to integrate into the evolving Eurasian transpo

As Nargiza Umarova explains, Uzbekistan is actively developing its transport connectivity with the South Caucasus, recognising the region’s key role in facilitating trade between Central Asia and Europe. Given the growing importance of the Trans-Caspian Internation

A special edition of Uzbekistan 24 TV channel’s Irreversible Reforms (“Ortga qaytmas islohotlar”) was dedicated to the development of transport and transit potential of the country. The programme was attended by industry specialists, experts and analysts who expressed t

Jeon Hongpyo, a Visiting Research Fellow IAIS, explores the role of South Korea’s Sports Official Development Assistance (ODA) within the broader framework of the K-Silk Road Initiative. The author explains that following Korea’s transition from an aid recipi

In her recent article, published in Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, Nargiza Umarova explores the ge

The virtual discussion hosted by the Carnegie Endowment delved into the complexities of China’s evolving role in Central Asia, challenging the conventional Western perspective that Beijing imposes its influence indiscriminately. Odil Gafarov

Nargiza Umarova, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS), analyses the implications of the renewed “maximum pressure” campaign by the United States on Iran, particularly its potential impact on the Chabahar port and

In her new article, IAIS Senior Research Fellow Nargiza Umarova analyses the impact of Afghanistan’s transport infrastructure on regional integration and Central Asia’s economic prospects. The author emphasizes that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, t

As Jeon Hongpyo, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies, states, the role of Koryo-saram (ethnic Koreans in Central Asia) within South Korea’s K-Silk Road Initiative is of significant historical and cultural importance. In his analysis, Jeo

The article by Nargiza Umarova, published by the CACI Analyst, examines the growing competition over trans-Afghan transport corridors, with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran advancing rival railway projects to connect Central Asia with Pakistan

Nargiza Umarova, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced International Studies, in her new article, published by The Jamestown Foundation, a examines Moscow’s expanding efforts to establish additional transportation links to

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was supposed to visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week and hold the Central Asia + Japan summit. But due to the threat of a tsunami in the Land of the Rising Sun, he postponed his trip. So, what is Tokyo’s desire to become more active in Central Asia