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: November 6, 2023
China’s Contradictory Position At COP28
Keeping track of China’s role at the COP28 climate gathering has been an exercise in sitting with contradiction. On the one hand, China’s the worst! A study released this week showed that Chinese and Indian emissions pushed dangerous heat-trapping emissions 1.1% higher ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Awkward Timing as Italy Withdraws from BRI
Why Biden’s Use of ‘Debt Trap’ Was so Awkward
This weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden made clear that, no matter how often it’s debunked, the “debt trap” will never die. Without recapping the entire debate, the talking point implies that Global South countries work with China because they’re ill-informed or have ...
Biden Renews Debt Trap Allegation Against China Even Though the Charge Has Been Widely Debunked
U.S. President Joe Biden resurfaced the widely discredited debt trap accusation against China as part of a larger effort to differentiate Washington's economic engagement strategy in the Western Hemisphere from that of Beijing's. The president made the claim on Friday during his ...
All it Takes is a Simple Google Search to Confirm the China Debt Trap Meme Isn’t Real
President Joe Biden's latest reference to Chinese "debt traps" is part of a broader pattern among high-level U.S. legislative, government and military officials to level the charge against China's lending practices. It's odd that they continue to make the claim since it's been ...
Why the Repeated Claims of Chinese Debt Trap Diplomacy is So Damaging to U.S. Foreign Policy
U.S. President Joe Biden’s comment to leaders from the Americas that: “I want to make sure that our closest neighbors know they have a real choice between debt-trap diplomacy and high-quality transparent approaches to infrastructure and to development,” was only a passing moment.
Japan Bolsters Closest-Ever Security Ties With Philipines as China Rattles Region
Japan and the Philippines agreed to begin talks to allow Japanese troop deployments on Filipino soil, as China’s actions in the region drive the two partners into their closest-ever security ties. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s weekend trip to meet with ...
U.S. and China Trade Blame in ‘Candid’ South China Sea Talks
Chinese and U.S. officials accused each other of bearing responsibility for dangerously high tensions that have turned the South China Sea into one of the most volatile flashpoints in the world. Officials from the U.S. State Department and China's Boundary and ...
Biden is Caught Between a Shoal and a Hard Place
U.S. President Joe Biden was unequivocal last month when he reaffirmed his commitment to defend the Philippines from an armed attack by Chinese naval forces in the South China Sea. "Any attack on Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke ...
The U.S. Response to China’s Dominance of African Critical Minerals
Bloomberg correspondent Matthew Hill hosts a compelling eight minute mini-documentary on how the United States is now starting to mount a response to China's dominance of certain sectors of Africa's critical minerals supply chain.
Chinese Envoys Push Peace Efforts But Real Ambitions Remain Unclear
The UN Security Council (UNSC) will hold a closed session on the Israel crisis on Monday at the request of China and the United Arab Emirates. China pledged to promote peace in the Palestinian territories as it took over the presidency of the UN Security Council last week.