This week’s episode begins in Kyrgyzstan, where a brutal killing of a 17-year-old girl has reignited public fury and led President Sadyr Japarov to call for the return of the death penalty. The case has stirred intense debate about justice, morality, and political opportunism in a country that abolished executions nearly two decades ago. We look at how Japarov’s proposal both reflects and exploits public anger, and what it means for Kyrgyzstan’s already fragile constitutional order.

The discussion later shifts to Kazakhstan, where President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent dismissal of global climate policy as a “massive fraud” clashes with his government’s simultaneous effort to market the country as a renewable-energy hub. At the recently concluded Kazakhstan Energy Week, ministers touted new wind and solar projects even as coal expansion and data-hungry AI ambitions deepen the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. We ask whether Tokayev’s rhetoric marks a populist pivot or a pragmatic recalibration around “energy sovereignty.”

Our interview guest is Maria Adele Carrai, Assistant Professor of Global Chinese Studies at NYU Shanghai and co-director of Mapping Global China, an open-data platform that visualises Beijing’s global footprint. Carrai explains how the project uses satellite imagery and datasets to track China’s infrastructure, trade, and soft-power presence, from Kazakhstan to the Arctic, while inviting local researchers to contribute new “story maps.” She also discusses why portrayals of China as either a benign partner or a looming threat both miss the point.

Useful links

* Mapping Global China website – https://mapglobalchina.com/

* CAPS Unlock event summary of Maria Adele Carrai lecture in Almaty - https://capsunlock.org/mapping-global-china-a-new-lens-on-beijings-reach-in-central-asia/

* Kabar news agency interview with President Japarov - https://www.kabar.kg/news/el-menen-keneshebiz-prezident-olum-zhazasyn-kirgizuu-demilgesi-boyuncha-kommentariy-berdi/

* TV report on President Tokayev’s speech to the National Council for Science and Technology -

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