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: April 29, 2021
South Africa Turns to Russia and China to Jumpstart National Vaccine Campaign
The South African government confirmed that it will place large orders for COVID-19 vaccines from both Russia and China in an effort to finally gets its faltering vaccination campaign underway. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told lawmakers ...
Morocco, Egypt, and Zimbabwe Are the Top Recipients of Chinese Vaccines in Africa
Africa is the second-largest recipient of Chinese vaccine donations worldwide but remains the lowest in terms of quantities delivered, according to the latest data from the Beijing-based consultancy Bridge Consulting. But within Africa, Morocco and Egypt have received far more doses than any other country ...
Economist Intelligence Unit: “Western Powers Have Lost the Vaccine Diplomacy Battle”
The battle over vaccine distribution between the U.S./Europe and China or Russia is over before it even started, declared a new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit. "It is likely that the damage to the reputation of Western countries has already been done and will be hard ...
The Chinese Foreign Ministry Responded to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Webinar Where He Talked China-Africa
Antony Blinken probably did not expect that an informal Q&A with alumni of the U.S.-government sponsored Young Africa Leaders Initiative would spark yet another international spat with China. On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian was asked to comment on the Secretary's critical remarks about Chinese ...
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested in Ghanaian Army Crackdown on Illegal Mining
Ghanaian army troops fanned out across the country on Wednesday in a nationwide crackdown on illegal mining in river areas, arresting dozens, including at least two Chinese nationals. The pair have been taken to Accra where they will ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
DRC Government Tries to Reframe Underwhelming Beijing Visit
Conflicting Views in Ghana Over China’s Entrance Into the Global Cocoa Trade
A spirited debate is underway in Ghana over the implications of China's entrance into the global cocoa market. Various commentators, cocoa industry officials, and political leaders have all expressed concern over the past week that China will do to the cocoa market what it's done ...
What the U.S. Apparently Doesn’t Understand About China-Africa Ties
So, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony held a virtual ‘tour’ of Africa on Tuesday with the leaders of Nigeria and Kenya on Tuesday. That it was called a ‘tour’ and not a Zoom or Skype shows everything that was wrong with ...
Debunking Myths About Chinese Labor in Africa
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments this week that suggested China imports labor to work on infrastructure projects highlights the incredible durability of one of the oldest myths about Chinese engagement. The reality is there's been a steady decline in ...