Today is a public holiday in South Africa – Human Rights Day. There’s a certain irony in spending the day focusing on China’s President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vladimir Putin, knee-deep in a human rights disaster.
What one makes of the Ukraine crisis increasingly maps on where one lives. This is made clear by a remarkable new set of polling data recently published by the European Council on Foreign Relations ...
Day: September 6, 2022
How Will Liz Truss’s Election as the UK’s New PM Affect China-Global South Relations?
Liz Truss’s rise to Prime Minister-elect of the United Kingdom is likely to raise tensions with China and increase Great Power competition in the Indo-Pacific region. Truss won an internal Conservative Party election following the resignation of former PM Boris Johnson. ...
Transsion Keeps its Edge as Economic Downturn Hits African Consumers
Smartphone shipments to Africa have fallen by 7.9% as economic downturns hit consumer wallets, according to new research by the International Data Corporation, a U.S.-based telecom research group. Despite the fall, the Chinese brand Transsion ...
U.S. Reportedly “Disillusioned” Over China’s Continued Dominance in Congolese Mining Sector
The Paris-based news service Africa Intelligence published an extensive report on Monday that details how the United States, despite its best efforts, has been unable to diminish China's current dominance of the Congolese mining sector. It reports that Washington is "disillusioned" with President Félix Tshisekedi over the ...
Tech Companies’ Great Migration Out of China
Apple's recently announced plans to speed up the production of its iPhone 14 in India is just one example of foreign manufacturers trying to lessen their dependence on Chinese factories. COVID-19 lockdowns, rising labor costs, and broader concerns ...
China’s Newest Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Makes Her Debut
China's Foreign Ministry's spokespeople have the tricky job of being the human faces of a frequently opaque system. So China nerds were a-Twitter this week following the debut of Mao Ning, the Ministry's newest representative.
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Xi Bets on Global South in Moscow
Chinese Astronauts Reach Out to African Kids
Three Chinese astronauts are holding a live chat with African youth directly from China's orbiting space station today. The live Q&A session, scheduled for 11:00 GMT, is arguably a powerful soft power play on a continent where youth interest in space exploration and other forms ...
Why the U.S. Shouldn’t Be Surprised About China’s Close Ties With DRC Mining Companies
U.S. officials in Washington and Kinshasa are apparently disappointed, according to a new investigation by the Paris-based Africa Intelligence, that they’ve failed to dislodge China from its dominance of the Congolese mining industry, particularly in strategically important metals like cobalt.
What Did Speculation About Xi’s Fictitious Trip to Saudi Arabia Tell Us About China’s Broader Mideast Strategy
By Leonardo Bruni Earlier this month, the internet was rife with speculation that Xi Jinping would soon break his more than two-year-long hiatus from overseas travel to visit Saudi Arabia. Although the visit did not take place, the media buzz surrounding ...