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: August 23, 2021
Tshisekedi Keeps Promise to Re-Negotiate Foreign Mining Contracts, Launches Investigation Into China Moly
DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi is following through with his promise to review all foreign mining contracts, mostly with Chinese companies, to evaluate whether the deals that were struck during his predecessor's tenure are equitable.
Sino-Congolese Mining Venture Sicomines Launches Conveniently Timed Social Development Program
The Sino-Congolese mining company Sicomines held a signing ceremony on Saturday for one of its largest community development initiatives in the joint venture's 14-year history. The company will spend almost $12 million to upgrade the infrastructure and provide development assistance to local communities around its ...
Congolese Governor Orders Suspension of Six Chinese Mining Companies in South Kivu Over Environmental Violations
Théo Ngwabidje Kasi (photo), governor of South Kivu province in the Eastern DR Congo, ordered six Chinese-owned mining companies to suspend operations in a bid to "restore order" after weeks of mounting tensions between the companies and the community. Three Congolese companies were also ...
Yet Another Social Media Video Revealing Tensions Between Chinese and Congolese Miners
In what's becoming an increasingly frequent pattern, another video appeared online on Sunday showing a heated exchange between a Chinese and Congolese miner. The video that is now circulating widely on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube does not provide a lot of contextual information as to ...
Terrorists in Pakistan Again Target Chinese Nationals in What’s Become an Unprecedented Challenge For the Belt and Road
Residents of the Pakistani port city of Gwadar gathered this weekend to mourn the death of two children killed on Friday by a suicide bomber who once again targeted Chinese nationals. A group called the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, the third ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
DRC Government Tries to Reframe Underwhelming Beijing Visit
Reports of a Chinese “Black Site” in the UAE Used to Target Uyghurs Gaining Momentum in U.S. Media
The Washington Post picked up on a story today about an alleged Chinese "black site" in Dubai that was reportedly used to detain a young Chinese woman and at least two Uyghurs. The Post based its Editorial on a story published last ...
China Slams Economist Report on Beijing’s Financing of New Fishing Port in Sierra Leone
The Chinese Foreign Ministry seemingly went out of its way on Friday to challenge an August 19th story published by The Economist that was critical of China's plans to finance the construction of a new deep-water fishing port in Sierra Leone: "many Sierra Leoneans fret ...
Barbados PM Pushes Back on BBC Journalist About China’s Growing Investments in the Caribbean
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley took exception to questions posed by BBC journalist Zeinab Badawi in a recent interview for the program Global Questions that the Caribbean country is at risk of becoming a "pawn" of China due to rising investment. Even ...