![By 2025, China will rank 70th in the world on the per capita income metric, putting it close to joining the richest one-third of nations [File: Bloomberg]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/asia.jpg?resize=570%2C380)
The Asian powerhouse is forecast to have per capita GDP, adjusted for purchasing power, equal to $25,307 in 2025.
Turkmenistan
![Turkmenistan has reopened most of its border crossing points and is preparing to reopen the remaining ones [Alexander Vershinin/AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/4b57f2baced0403888ed20bb513722e2_18.jpeg?resize=570%2C380)
Turkmen government continues to claim there are no COVID-19 cases in the country.
FM Meredov insists his country does not have COVID-19 cases, days after country reboots its domestic football season.
![Turkmenistan's first leader Sapurmurat Niyazov banned opera as well as foreign ballet in 2001 in what he posited was a move to protect Turkmen culture [File: Ivan Franco/EPA]](/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/9e1707d93a0b45bb83e22512f61089a5_18.jpeg?resize=570%2C380)
Ashgabat’s state theatre shows 19th-century Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo’s famous opera, ‘Pagliacci’ (Clowns).
![Relatives of the country's ruling family have been seen to benefit from state expenditure, the report found [Alexander Vershinin/AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/4b57f2baced0403888ed20bb513722e2_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
Gas-rich Turkmenistan facing worst economic crisis in 30 years, coupled with rights concerns, UK think-tank reports.
For the first time in three years, North Korea is not the world’s most dangerous country for journalists.
![Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took oath as Kazakhstan's new president in the presence of his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana, Kazakhstan on March 20, 2019 [Anadolu]](/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/f8f88404ca11431083f6b583be7b1cbe_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
And can it be a model for other countries in the region to follow, namely Russia?
Five countries have agreed to share resources of the oil-rich, but landlocked, Caspian Sea.
![The dispute began with the fall of the Soviet Union [Aliia Raimbekova/Anadolu]](/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/6cef6cf6848946d3ac78997209af4dc5_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
Five states sharing Caspian shoreline sign deal on legal status of inland body of water, agreeing to keep it exclusive.
Competitive ballroom dance has been recognised as a sport for two decades by the International Olympic Committee. But it is still a struggle to convince sports fans that they are real athletes.
Martial arts are a major part of Asian culture. Sports like Sambo, Kurash and Muay Thai are not major spectator sports, but are taking centre stage at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan is staging the largest sports event in its history.
![The president said the vote would decide 'the fate of the people for the coming seven years' [Alexander Vershinin/AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/dfa4f53f0f234b03afe681e05eae8b33_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
Being elected for the third time, President Berdymukhamedov faced eight challengers for the presidency.
![Berdymukhamedov is set to sail to victory in election where eight other candidates are on the ballot, but all praise his polices [AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/637a8cfee0ea4ab59e6d2185d3c49806_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
Incumbent Berdymukhamedov faces eight challengers for the presidency but he is all but certain to win the elections.