When I began planning a work trip to Astana this month, the first challenge was simply finding a flight. With no direct service from Hong Kong to the Kazakh capital, I could transfer in Guangzhou, Beijing, Urumqi or Seoul. I chose Guangzhou, which offered a direct flight lasting about seven and a half hours, but the limited schedule meant there was no flight on Saturday, forcing me to leave earlier than planned and spend five days in Astana. The journey offered an early glimpse of both the...