Day: November 16, 2022
Related Posts
The Limits of China’s Engagement in Afghanistan
By Lukas Fiala On Monday, armed extremists opened fire inside Kabul Longan Hotel, a popular accommodation for Chinese citizens in Afghanistan. With many dead or injured, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility and that the attack targeted Chinese citizens. More than one ...
Related Posts
WEEK IN REVIEW: More Details About Sri Lanka’s Economic Recovery Program Is Emerging
More details about Sri Lanka’s economic recovery program is emerging as the country struggles to restructure its debt, about a fifth of which is owed to China. The country’s Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry told Reuters his government is expecting as much as $5 billion in loans next year ...
Ladies and Gentlemen, Xi Jinping is Back in the Diplomatic Game
After three years of avoiding major in-person diplomatic engagements, Chinese President Xi Jinping re-emerged on the diplomatic stage with a flurry of at least eight bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Spread among the President's ...
Xi Champions Developing Country Causes in G20 Speech
Chinese President Xi Jinping used his opening day address at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, to reassert Beijing's self-appointed role as the world's preeminent developing country. President Xi dedicated the bulk of his speech on Tuesday to a wide range of critical issues confronting countries in ...
It May Not Look Like Much, But This Handshake Between Xi and Modi is a Big Deal
They looked at each other, smiled, shook hands for an uncomfortably long time, and even exchanged a few pleasantries. It may not look like much, but this brief interaction between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at ...
Why Détente Between China and Australia Could Be a Problem for Some Developing Countries
Anthony Albanese is the first Australian Prime Minister in six years to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and from the looks of their brief meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday, there's a glimmer of optimism that the strained ...
Even in a Foreign Country, China Made Other Leaders Treat Xi as the Host
One observation that emerged from Tuesday's flurry of meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and various world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali was that President Xi stood at the flags waiting to greet his counterparts as if he was somehow hosting them ...
U.S.-led Coalition Rolls Out First Major Infrastructure Project Under the New Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment
The G7 group of wealthy countries unveiled the first major initiative as part of its Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which is ostensibly aimed at countering China's dominance in financing infrastructure in developing countries. The coalition announced a $20 ...
Introducing the New China-Global South Podcast
Every week, The China-Global South Podcast will explore timely issues surrounding China's engagement in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and other developing regions. Hosted by China-Global South Editor in Chief Eric Olander in Vietnam and Managing Editor Cobus van ...
Xi, Putin and Modi in Central Asia
By Lukas Fiala With all eyes on Xi Jinping’s first foreign trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a flurry of commentators have been dissecting the significance of Xi’s meeting with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China Quietly Distributed More Than $30 Billion in “Emergency Loans” to Financially-Distressed Developing Countries in Recent Years
China has quietly distributed more than $30 billion in so-called "emergency loans" to financially-distressed developing countries in recent years, according to new data compiled by AidData. Details of the loans have not been publicized but analysts believe they're intended to help borrowers avoid defaulting on Chinese-financed infrastructure loans ...
William Ruto Wins Kenya’s Presidential Election. What Does That Mean For Kenya’s Ties With China?
William Ruto was declared president-elect on Monday by the head of Kenya's independent election commission after narrowly edging out his main rival Raila Odinga. But as was expected in such a close race, controversy erupted when four electoral commissioners hinted there were problems with the vote, prompting Odinga's supporters to ...
Saudi Arabia is Preparing For President Xi’s Arrival This Week, According to Reports
There are new indications that Chinese President Xi Jinping will, in fact, be heading to Saudi Arabia this week for his first overseas visit in nearly three years since the beginning of the pandemic. Although there is still no official confirmation of the ...
Chinese Scholar Makes the Case That It’s Bond Debt, Not Bilateral Loans That Trap Developing Countries
A new research paper by prominent Tsinghua University development finance scholar Tang Xiaoyang provides the most detailed argument to date in defense of China's bilateral lending to Global South countries and how mostly Western-initiated bonds are the real culprit in burdening poor states with unmanageable debts.
New Economist Intelligence Unit Report Provides Fresh Reminder of China’s Highly Unequal Trade With Africa
The Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) latest report on China-Africa relations forecasts how it sees the relationship between these two regions evolving over the next ten years. Broadly speaking, the EIU predicts China will devote more attention to Africa, both for economic reasons and ...
Shining a Light on China’s Support for Power Plants in Belt and Road Initiative Countries in Africa and Asia
By Oyintarelado (Tarela) Moses In September 2021, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced that China would not build new coal plants overseas. At the same time, many countries in Africa and Asia continue to seek finance for electricity-generating infrastructure to meet ...
Where in the World is Xi Jinping Going?
The British newspaper The Guardian sparked excitement late last week with an exclusive report that Chinese President Xi Jinping would break his nearly 900-day absence from international travel with a visit to Saudi Arabia. Middle East correspondent Martin Chulov also divulged that ...
China’s Discourse Power in Africa and the Global South
China, like all major governments, uses a variety of tools and methods to influence international public opinion. Some, like CGTN, China Daily, and China Radio International, serve as conventional propaganda that is easy to identify; other tactics are far more subtle ...
China, Western Countries Face Off (Again) Over Xinjiang at UN Human Rights Council
Human rights in China's western Xinjiang region was once again at the center of a bitter diplomatic feud that erupted on Wednesday at the opening session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. On one side, Holland submitted a letter ...
Qatar Reverses Decision to List Taiwan as a Province of China
World Cup organizers in Qatar appear to have reversed a decision to list ticket holders from Taiwan as being from China. Earlier this week, the Foreign Ministry in Taipei said it was "unacceptable" that its residents would be listed in the Gulf country's Hayaa ...
New Law Governing Chinese “Non-War” Military Operations Implemented
A draft law regulating the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s “Military Operations Other than War” (MOOTW) took effect on Wednesday. The regulation covers activities like disaster relief, humanitarian aid, escort operations, and peacekeeping. Signed by President Xi Jinping in his capacity as head of ...
BBC Documentary Sparks More Reflective, Less Racist Discussion on Chinese Social Media
It took a few days, but the BBC Africa documentary "Racism for Sale," which showcased the trend of Chinese merchants selling offensive videos online that exploit Africans, finally made it over the Great Firewall and is now the subject of lively online discussions.
A Conversation With Huang Ping, China’s Consul General in New York
China's Consul General in New York City, Huang Ping, is a veteran diplomat with extensive experience in both North America and Africa. Prior to taking on the CG role in NYC, Huang was ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2018.
TRANSLATION: Please Stop Now! Stop Exploiting African Children!!!
"Africa Bob" (波布非洲) is a popular Chinese commentator and content creator about African issues on WeChat. The following is a summary translation of his post that reflects on the controversy about the exploitation of African (Malawi) children used to produce short form videos by Chinese merchants. ...
Motorists Respond to Nairobi Expressway Grand Opening
Kenyan social media influencers were among the lucky few that were invited to drive along the Nairobi Expressway during this weekend's public trial. Not surprisingly, the reactions were overwhelmingly positive on both YouTube and Twitter, especially since they had the roads to themselves.
DRC Industry Minister Meets With Two Key Chinese Players in the EV Battery Business
A meeting last week between a pair of senior Chinese executives and the DR Congo's Industry Minister, Julien Paluku, hints that the government is moving to expand domestic processing of raw materials used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries. Paluku met ...
Regulation, Security Raise Hurdles for Chinese Companies in Somalia: Ambassador
Fei Shengchao, China's ambassador to Somalia, recently sat down with a reporter from the Somali news service Goobjoog, for a rare television interview. In the clips released by the embassy, he addressed problems faced by Chinese fishing companies in navigating Somalian regulation, and ...
Chinese Public Security Officials Meet with Nigerian Delegation on Security
🇳🇬 Officials from China’s Ministry of Public Security met with Nigerian counterparts and representatives from Chinese companies, to discuss ongoing security threats to Chinese nationals in the country. The session particularly focused on repeated kidnappings of Chinese in Nigeria. (SOUTH AFRICAN DAILY -- in Chinese)
TikTok’s Chinese Parent Company Targets African Teens With New Messaging App
Bytedance, parent company of the enormously successful social video app TikTok, launched a new mobile messaging app that targets Africa's huge teen market. The new app will combine music and messaging features with an eye on displacing the current market leaders ...
Kenyan Court Orders Government to Publish Chinese Loan Contracts For SGR
Two civil society activists in Kenya, Khelef Khalifa and Wanjiru Gikonyo, have won a massive victory in their longshot campaign to force the government to release its contracts with Chinese creditors for the multi-billion dollar Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). The Attorney General and two ...
U.S. Under Secretary Underplays New Cold War While Leaning Into Battery Metals Race with China
The United States doesn’t want to force countries to choose between it and China, as long as Chinese investments follow “the highest standards,” according to US Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose W Fernandez. While he focused on environmental and labor concerns, ...
Nairobi Expressway Signals Shift in Belt and Road Financing
Kenya’s new Nairobi Expressway is finally open to traffic. Transport Minister James Macharia commissioned the new Chinese-built intra-city highway on Saturday, ahead of its upcoming official launch. The 27-kilometer road cost $668 million. How it recoups those costs will ...
When It Comes to Security in Africa, the U.S. and China Have More in Common Than Many Think
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is currently hearing testimony from U.S. generals about U.S.-led security in the Middle East and Africa. Not surprisingly, the hearings are portraying China’s African priorities as opposed in all respects to those of the United States. However, there may ...
China’s Policy Banks Stopped All Funding For Overseas Energy Projects Last Year
The once seemingly endless flow of Chinese money to fund energy projects throughout the Global South reached a milestone in 2021 when it dropped to zero, according to new research from Boston University's Global Development Policy Center. A ...
The Generals in Charge of U.S. Forces in the Middle East and Africa Are Becoming Increasingly Nervous About Chinese and Russian Influence
Two of the U.S.' top generals who oversee commands for American forces in Africa and the Middle East issued new warnings on Tuesday about the risks to U.S. interests posed by both China and Russia. Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie Jr., ...
China’s New Special Envoy For the Horn of Africa Lays Out His Agenda
China's newly-appointed Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa (HoA), Xue Bing, is currently touring the region to get up to speed on the key issues. Over the weekend, he met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and then traveled to Addis Ababa for talks ...
Latest Al-Shabab Attack in Kenya Prompts High-Level Security Talks With China’s Ambassador
High-level talks between three Kenyan ministers and Chinese ambassador Zhou Pingjian took place at the Interior Ministry in Nairobi on Tuesday to discuss the worsening security situation in Lamu county where Chinese contractors have been the victims of recent terrorist attacks.
Huawei Marine is Nearly Finished Laying the 720km SHARE Cable Between Senegal and Cabo Verde
HMN Tech, a subsidiary of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, is almost finished with constructing the 720-kilometer undersea data cable that will link Senegal with the small island state of Cabo Verde off the coast of West Africa. The project, ...
Morocco Students Plead to Go Back to School… in China
Around a thousand Moroccan university students who started their studies in China but haven't been able to return since the beginning of the pandemic are pleading with the Chinese government to let them back into the country. China's borders have been ...
Minister and MPs Clash Over Chinese Contract to Upgrade Uganda’s Entebbe Airport
Ugandan opposition MPs renewed their criticism of the government's handling of a $200 million loan deal with the China Exim Bank to upgrade the Entebbe International Airport near Kampala. Works and Transport Minister Edward Katumba along with officials from ...
EU-Africa Summit Set to Begin Amid a Rapidly Changing Geopolitical Landscape
African leaders have been arriving in Brussels all week in advance of the two-day Europe-Africa summit that begins tomorrow. But the timing of this year's gathering comes as some in Europe are bracing for what could be the continent's largest war since WWII and an increasingly contentious ...
German Construction Companies Struggle to Find a Way to Compete Against Chinese Rivals in Africa
European leaders have made it very clear in recent weeks that they intend to compete vigorously against Chinese rivals for a larger slice of the African infrastructure construction market. While that may sound nice, in practice it's going to be difficult. ...
World Bank Becoming Increasingly Anxious About Risks From China’s Opaque Lending Practices to Global South Countries
The World Bank is becoming increasingly explicit about its concerns related to Chinese lending practices in low and middle-income countries, even though it doesn't call out the Chinese government by name. On two separate occasions on Tuesday, the Bank issued warnings ...
China’s Ambassador to Mali Gives Public Show of Support As Bamako Faces Growing International Isolation
Ambassador Chen's meeting with Mali's national police chief is particularly notable in light of Bamako's growing isolation in the international community. Mali is currently facing sanctions from the West African regional organization ECOWAS with the support of France, the United States and the European Union.
The South African Government is Making Huawei an Example
The South African Department of Labor’s decision to sue the local subsidiary of the Chinese mobile technology giant Huawei for hiring too many foreign workers could signal a wider crackdown on foreign firms. This comes as the country’s unemployment rate soars and pressure to allocate ...
The Global Gateway’s Real Challenge
With the EU-AU summit kicking off later this week in Brussels, I’ve been fielding questions from several journalists. They all kick off with one question: will the EU’s Global Gateway supplant the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa? In answering with a ...
A Taliban security personnel operating an anti-aircraft gun keeps watch for Pakistani airstrikes near the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Nangarhar province on February 27, 2026 following overnight cross-border fighting between the two countries. Photo by AIMAL ZAHIR / AFP
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared "open war" against Afghanistan on Friday amid a surge of fighting between the two South Asian neighbors. Pakistan said it's retaliating against Afghanistan for a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing in early February that killed at least 36 people ...
Ladies and Gentlemen, Xi Jinping is Back in the Diplomatic Game
After three years of avoiding major in-person diplomatic engagements, Chinese President Xi Jinping re-emerged on the diplomatic stage with a flurry of at least eight bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Spread among the President's ...
Xi Champions Developing Country Causes in G20 Speech
Chinese President Xi Jinping used his opening day address at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, to reassert Beijing's self-appointed role as the world's preeminent developing country. President Xi dedicated the bulk of his speech on Tuesday to a wide range of critical issues confronting countries in ...
It May Not Look Like Much, But This Handshake Between Xi and Modi is a Big Deal
They looked at each other, smiled, shook hands for an uncomfortably long time, and even exchanged a few pleasantries. It may not look like much, but this brief interaction between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at ...
Why Détente Between China and Australia Could Be a Problem for Some Developing Countries
Anthony Albanese is the first Australian Prime Minister in six years to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and from the looks of their brief meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday, there's a glimmer of optimism that the strained ...
Even in a Foreign Country, China Made Other Leaders Treat Xi as the Host
One observation that emerged from Tuesday's flurry of meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and various world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali was that President Xi stood at the flags waiting to greet his counterparts as if he was somehow hosting them ...
U.S.-led Coalition Rolls Out First Major Infrastructure Project Under the New Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment
The G7 group of wealthy countries unveiled the first major initiative as part of its Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which is ostensibly aimed at countering China's dominance in financing infrastructure in developing countries. The coalition announced a $20 ...