Italy has announced its formal withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative after joining the China-centered infrastructure and investment project in 2019.
The timing of the announcement that Rome won’t renew its BRI commitment is notable. It came only a day before the EU-China summit, which kicks off on Thursday. The summit will likely be more contentious than usual, with European leaders expected to push China on the treatment of EU firms amid discussions ...
Day: February 28, 2022
China’s Jumbled Positions on the Ukraine War Are Going to Complicate Its Diplomacy in Africa
China's newly appointed Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, formally began his new role last week just days before the Russian military began its assault on Ukraine. The timing couldn't have been worse for Xue who is already facing a steep learning ...
BRICS Buck the Rest of the World in Firmly Opposing Russia’s War on Ukraine
In an odd alignment of diplomatic symmetry, the four non-Russian members of the BRICS group have all refused to join the global movement to condemn Russia for its assault on neighboring Ukraine. There's no evidence that any of these countries are coordinating their response with one another ...
New Research Concludes Uganda’s Entebbe Airport Was Never at Risk of Being Seized by Chinese Creditors
Uganda's Entebbe International Airport was never at risk of being seized by Chinese creditors in the event of a default on the $200 million loan, according to new research by Brad Parks and Ammar Malik at AidData in the United States. ...
Equatorial Guinea’s Top Officials Have Been Very Busy Lately Hosting U.S. and Chinese Delegations
It's been a very busy week for great power diplomacy in the Equatoguinean capital of Malabo. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Simeón Oyono Esono Angue hosted a delegation led by Chinese ambassador Qi Mei to discuss unspecified "international events." That mean ...
Stadium Diplomacy in Africa is Fashionable Again
Early on in China's engagement in Africa, the Chinese were big on gifting sports stadiums to African governments as part of their soft power diplomatic outreach on the continent. Later, Chinese infrastructure development shifted focus to larger, more conventional projects like bridges, railroads and highways but now ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Awkward Timing as Italy Withdraws from BRI
South Africa’s Limpopo Province Approves $10 Billion Chinese-Finance Coal Project… But There’s Just One Very Small Problem
South Africa's Limpopo Province gave the go-ahead last week for a $10 billion industrial project that includes a 4,600-megawatt coal power plant, a coking facility, and a steel plant. The approval is critical for the development of the controversial Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone. ...