China has launched a wide-ranging campaign across Central Asia aimed at improving its public image and strengthening its influence in the region.
The initiative, coordinated by Chinese embassies, involves Beijing-created content being published in prominent media outlets in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The content promotes China as a reliable trade partner, emphasising economic cooperation, regional stability and shared development goals.
Chinese diplomats argue that Western influences risk sowing division in Central Asia, while China presents itself as a neighbour focused on mutual benefit rather than political interference.
In one publication it warns Central Asian countries to avoid a “Cold War mindset”, which has previously been a way China refers to U.S. President Donal Trump’s administration.
In Kazakhstan’s Tengrinews, the country’s most viewed news site, Chinese-authored articles have highlighted what they say is the benefits of bilateral trade between China and the region. Similar material has been published or broadcasted by major state-linked outlets in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Alongside this media push, a Chinese organisation known as the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies has sponsored public opinion surveys in several Central Asian countries.
China’s image-building campaign comes as its economic presence in Central Asia continues to expand. Trade between China and the region has increased sharply in recent years, and Beijing is a major investor in infrastructure and energy.
While Western countries have attempted to deepen engagement with the region, China’s latest campaign suggests it is determined to secure its position not only through economic ties, but by actively shaping public narratives.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled a new underground ballistic missile base on Wednesday (4 February), just over a day before ...
Several Armenian defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday (5 February) as the Baku Military Court began reading out verdicts in crim...
U.S. President Donald Trump held an “excellent” phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, (4 February), to discuss trade, energy,...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 5th of February, covering the latest developments you need to ...
The United States and Argentina have signed a framework agreement to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals on Thursday (4 February), reaffirming...
U.S. President Donald Trump held an “excellent” phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, (4 February), to discuss trade, energy, Taiwan, Iran, and Russia’s war in Ukraine, ahead of Trump’s planned visit to Beijing in April.
The United States and Argentina have signed a framework agreement to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals on Thursday (4 February), reaffirming a shared commitment to building secure, resilient and competitive supply chains.
Air China has announced that it will operate around 70,000 flights during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, as China prepares for another surge of holiday travel during its most important annual celebration.
Emergency teams in eastern China are racing to locate survivors after a bridge under construction collapsed in Jiangsu province, leaving two people dead and three missing.
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Morocco has evacuated more than 100,000 people from four provinces after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several northern regions, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Tuesday (3 February) of exploiting a U.S.-backed energy ceasefire to stockpile weapons and launch large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine ahead of peace talks.
The imminent expiry of New START, the last major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, risks removing transparency, predictability and limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, political analyst Gregory Mathieu warned.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled a new underground ballistic missile base on Wednesday (4 February), just over a day before the start of mediated nuclear negotiations with the United States, slated for Friday in Oman.
Several Armenian defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday (5 February) as the Baku Military Court began reading out verdicts in criminal cases under Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code.
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday (4 February), health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire.
Another shipment of grain was sent to Armenia via transit through Azerbaijani territory on 4 February. The latest delivery consisted of eight wagons carrying 560 tonnes of grain dispatched from Azerbaijan to Armenia.
Azerbaijan and Armenia used a high-profile international platform in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to underline growing trade ties, expanding cooperation and what both leaders described as an irreversible turn towards peace after decades of conflict.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment