When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...
Day: August 21, 2023
Related Posts
BRICS Leaders Meet in Johannesburg for Summit That Could Reshape the Group
Chinese officials are reportedly pushing for the BRICS bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, to present a more frontal challenge to the U.S.-led G7. “If we expand Brics to account for a similar portion of world GDP ...
Possible Xi-Modi Meeting in Johannesburg?
One of the closest-watched interactions at the summit will be between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping. Tensions between the two Asian superpowers have been rising due to an ongoing border dispute and larger geopolitical wranglings. There are
Insider/Outsider Politics and Member Country Agendas Are Likely to Shape Summit’s Outcomes
The draft agenda (PDF) of this week’s BRICS summit in Johannesburg reveals an event split between intra-group discussions early on and a wider group of participants on the last day. The first two days are dominated by core BRICS issues, including ...
Chinese Scholars: BRICS Is All About Confronting the West
Many Chinese scholars have weighed in on this week’s BRICS summit, and the framing of the discussion on Chinese-language platforms is revealing. Commentators tend to see the bloc's importance as mostly lying in how it directly confronts Western global primacy. This ...
Chinese Automakers Prominent at BRICS Summit
The BRICS summit is proving a PR bonanza for an unexpected group of stakeholders: Chinese automakers. South Africa, the host of this week’s summit, eschewed the usual fleet of Mercedes Benzes to ferry the delegates between venues. Instead, the Chinese automakers Chery and Haval are providing the official SUVs. ...
Chinese Company Expands Footprint in South Africa’s Energy Sector With New Solar Project
One of China’s biggest companies, the Fortune 500-listed PowerChina, is establishing itself among energy sector players seeking to offer solutions to the crippling blackouts predicted to last until 2027 in South Africa. The country is seeking to transition to ...
The Real Reason to Pay Attention to BRICS
One of the few things about the upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa everyone can agree on is that it’s notable. But no one agrees why. What does the body’s possible expansion beyond its core members of Brazil, Russia, India, China, ...
Translation: How a Middle-Aged Chinese Divorceé is Enjoying His “Next Life” in a Big House With a Zambian Wife
This article was published on 驻外之家 (Home Abroad), a popular WeChat page that focuses on the stories of Chinese expatriates in Africa. This channel provides a more detailed picture of Chinese who came to Africa, stayed in Africa, and, in many instances, eventually became part of the ...