📖+10 XP
🎧+10 XP
✅+15 XP
China’s growing role and the backlash in KyrgyzstanCEFR A1
20 Nov 2025
Adapted from Nurbek Bekmurzaev, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Annie Spratt, Unsplash
Level A1 – BeginnerCEFR A1
2 min
94 words
- China is Kyrgyzstan’s most important economic partner today.
- Their ties became a strategic partnership in 2023.
- They work together in mining, agriculture, energy and transport.
- Many protests, raids and clashes happened across the country.
- The worst violence came in October 2020 after elections.
- The government cancelled a $280 million border logistics terminal.
- People complain about pollution, leaks and harm to water.
- Authorities fined the Junda refinery in Kara-Balta for emissions.
- Rumours say nearly 100,000 Chinese workers, but about 9,000 work there.
- Polls show negative views fell from almost 50% to just over 25%.
Difficult words
- China — A country in East Asia.Chinese
- important — Having great significance or value.
- trade — The activity of buying and selling goods.
- protest — To express strong disagreement.
- influence — The power to have an effect on something.
- concern — A worry or a problem.concerns
- pollution — The presence of harmful substances.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think some people are concerned about pollution?
- What are your thoughts on foreign workers in your country?
- Why is trade significant for Kyrgyzstan?
Related articles
8 Jul 2025
28 Nov 2025
New acid-free way to recycle lithium-ion batteries
Researchers at Rice University developed a two-step FJH-ClO process that separates lithium and other metals from spent batteries. The lab-scale method recovers valuable materials with less energy, fewer chemicals and less wastewater.
23 Mar 2026
16 Feb 2026
3 Oct 2025
Media Coverage of the Vidovdan Protests in Belgrade
An analysis by Nataša Stanojević, published by ISAC and republished by Global Voices, examines media and political reactions to the large June 28 Vidovdan protests in Belgrade and highlights arrests, media framing, and risks to democracy.