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Day: November 24, 2021

FOCAC PERSPECTIVES: Relieve the “Pressure Points” in China-Africa Ties By Expanding Trade and People-to-People Ties

Every day leading up to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation conference on November 29th and 30th, CAP will feature perspectives from journalists, academics, activists, and business leaders about what they hope will emerge from the FOCAC event in Dakar. If you ...

Letter to the Editor: Contrary to Widespread Misperception, China Has Restructured Some of Its Commercial Loans in Africa

Hi Eric and Cobus, I’m writing to follow up on a statement about Chinese debt relief you made in a recent column: …the fact is that China has canceled some zero-interest loans that only ...

Finally, Some Good News For Kenya’s Embattled Standard Gauge Railway

While Kenya struggles to repay billions of dollars of loans to the China Exim Bank used to build the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the government is getting a badly-needed boost from higher cargo and passenger volumes. Kenya Railways this week reported ...

Chinese Mining Companies Move Forward With Two Huge Deals Worth More Than a Billion Dollars in Ghana, DRC

The economic turmoil brought on by the ongoing pandemic has done nothing to stem the appetite of Chinese mining companies looking to expand their presence in Africa. This week alone, Chinese mining giants Zijin and Chifeng Jilong both received approval this week to proceed with deals that total ...

China Ramps Up Criticism of Blinken’s New Africa Policy

China escalated its criticism of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Washington's new foreign policy approach towards Africa that downplays Beijing.  Whereas the initial reaction to Blinken's three-nation tour emerged on Monday in two columns in the nationalist tabloid Global ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

India Could Ban Cheap Chinese Phones

The Indian government could push Chinese mobile phone manufacturers out of the lower end of its market, according to a new report by Bloomberg. The possible ban is reportedly aimed at boosting India’s failing domestic phone makers in the lucrative sub-12,000 rupee ($150) sector. 

The move will be a blow to Chinese companies like Xiaomi, RealMe, and Transsion, who make up 80% of sales in the sub-$150 sector. Low-end smartphones occupy a third ...

Here’s a Headline You Don’t See Very Often, If Ever, On a U.S. Government-funded Media Channel

Normally the Voice of America's coverage of Chinese engagement in Africa focuses on the threat posed Huawei, Chinese "debt traps", or Pentagon assertions that Beijing wants to build new bases on the continent.

Huawei’s Training Session in Mozambique Highlights Three Important Trends

China's ambassador to Mozambique, Wang Hejun, personally handed out certificates of completion on Monday to dozens of local government officials who finished a technology training course led by tech giant Huawei. This particular program was unexceptional in that it's just one ...

FOCAC 8 Preview: The Trade Agenda

Trade issues are widely expected to top the agenda at next week's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation ministerial conference in Dakar. African countries will be looking for China to further widen its market to agricultural and processed raw materials and China is ...