Félix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, left for a trip to Beijing last week amid sky-high expectations of both new deals and the significant reworking of current agreements widely seen in his country as favoring Chinese actors. None of this happened.
Instead, he returned with a fistful of non-binding MoUs to widespread dissatisfaction back home. Since then, DRC officials have worked overtime to try and spin the trip as a longer-term ...
Day: October 20, 2020
Zambian Bondholders Expected to Reject Government’s Request for Repayment Delay
A group of Zambian bondholders is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and is widely expected to vote against the government's request for a six-month repayment holiday on $3 billion of Eurobonds. If that is in fact what happens, then it would likely prompt the government to default ...
China’s “Cobalt Empire”
China's steadily deteriorating relations with the United States and European Union countries are prompting renewed attention on who controls the supply chains for the strategic minerals, elements, and metals that are essential ingredients in electronics and next-generation technologies. For the past ...
China’s Rebuilding of TV Stations in Africa is a Great Way of Ensuring Long-term Positive Media Coverage
China's ambassador to Liberia, Ren Yisheng, toured the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) facility in Monrovia last week to inspect a $52 million upgrade to the channel that Beijing is funding. Part of the work being done is to facilitate LBS' transition from analog to digital ...
Report: Number of Chinese Workers in Africa Has Steadily Fallen Since 2015
Reduced Chinese lending activity in Africa has prompted a steady exodus of Chinese laborers from the continent over the past five years, according to a new report published by the Beijing-based consultancy Development Reimagined and The Oxford China International Consultancy.
Chinese Workers May be Leaving Africa, But They’re Not Necessarily Returning Home Says Researcher
The two figures show the number of Chinese workers in the world and in Africa: The first graph includes the workers sent abroad by Chinese ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
DRC Government Tries to Reframe Underwhelming Beijing Visit
Infographic Highlights How Nigeria Doesn’t Actually Owe China That Much Money
A new infographic circulating online showcases data from Nigeria's Debt Management Office and clearly shows the relatively small amount of debt owed to China compared to that of private creditors and multilateral lenders (as of June 2020). This runs counter ...
Twenty Years of FOCAC
It was mostly overshadowed by the debt crisis in places like Zambia, but last week saw a major milestone in China-Africa relations. It was the twentieth anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). In some ways, FOCAC kicked off a sea change in Africa’s position in ...
Q&A: Liberia’s Decision to Deny Fishing Permits to 6 Chinese Super Trawlers “Sends a Powerful Message”
After months of deliberations, Liberia's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) announced last week that it would deny permits to six Chinese super-trawlers to fish in its territorial waters. The trawlers arrived earlier this year and immediately sparked widespread concern that their ability to catch 12,000 metric ...