Kidnappings and broken promises on China’s ‘Belt and Road’ project.
Asqar Azatbek was in Kazakhstan near the border with China, ringed by soaring mountains and desert plains, when a car screeched to a halt beside him.
A group of men climbed out, ordering him to lie face down on the ground and hand over his passport. Within minutes, they bundled the 56-year-old Kazakh into the car and sped away into China.
“He was kidnapped violently by the Chinese,” said Gaukhar Kurmanaliyeva, Asqar’s cousin. “This is a major violation, as they didn’t have any right to take away a Kazakh citizen from Kazakh territory.”
