Day: January 10, 2024
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Malaysia is Becoming More Mandarin-Speaking
The enrollment of non-Chinese students in Chinese-language schools in Malaysia is reportedly increasing rapidly, partly because employers are increasingly favoring speakers of Mandarin, according to a new report by the Singaporean publication Fulcrum. While numbers aren’t officially recorded, there are indications that this trend is expanding in line ...
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Nvidia Teams Up With Vietnam on AI Amid U.S.-China Tensions
Nvidia, the U.S. maker of advanced computer chips, signed an agreement to set up an advanced research and development center dedicated to artificial intelligence in Vietnam. Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia said in a statement: “We are delighted to open ...
Waiting for Trump: A Review of Chinese Perspectives on the Conflict in the Middle East
By Giorgia Facchini On November 27, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon came into effect, aiming to halt hostilities between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, who had been exchanging fire since the Hamas-led ...
Africa Has Other Friends if Trump Won’t Work With It: Kenya’s AU Candidate
By Dylan Gamba Kenya's candidate for the top job at the African Union said Saturday that if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump does not want to work with Africa, the continent has "other friends." Raila Odinga, ...
China’s Xi Hails ‘New Chapter’ in Relations With Indonesia
Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Indonesian counterpart that Beijing hopes for a "new chapter" in bilateral relations, as the two leaders met on Saturday. Xi held talks with President Prabowo Subianto in Beijing, the first stop of the Indonesian leader's ...
Pakistan’s Post-Bombing High-Wire Act
Pakistan’s hosting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of Government meeting on October 15 and 16 is happening as the country is scrambling to contain the fallout of a bombing attack on a group of Chinese engineers on Sunday. ...
Taiwan President Lai Vows to ‘Resist Annexation’ of Island
By Joy Chiang and Amber Wang Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te vowed Thursday to "resist annexation" as China exerts growing military and political pressure on the self-ruled island it claims as part of its territory. China ...
Blinken Arrives at Asia Summit With Firm Line on Myanmar, China
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Laos on Thursday for the East Asia Summit, where he will push a firm line on Myanmar's junta and Beijing's assertive actions in the South China Sea. In a shift of focus after ...
Philippines Challenges China Over South China Sea at ASEAN Meet
By Martin Abbugao and Damon Wake Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos challenged Chinese Premier Li Qiang over recent clashes in the South China Sea at regional summit talks on Thursday, as fears grow that conflict could erupt in the disputed waterway.
Thailand’s EV Incentives: Boosting Chinese Investment, but at What Cost to Local Workers?
For more than two decades, Thai automotive worker Winai Tintanod has witnessed the ups and downs of Thailand’s automobile manufacturing, a sector sustained by the likes of car-making giants like Toyota and Honda. From the manufacturing peak output in 2011, when the country introduced a subsidy for ...
Why Is China Engaging Africa? Chinese Expert Weighs In
In the run-up to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, many tried to parse the factors driving China’s engagement with the continent. The consensus among Western commentators was a combination of Chinese need for mineral resources and their need to build political coalitions.
Time to Pay Attention to Chinese Cyberattacks in Indonesia
This article is co-authored by Yeta Purnama, a researcher at the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), and Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Director of the China-Indonesia Desk at CELIOS. In the past few years, Indonesia has been bracing for a steady rise ...
African Deals Signed in Beijing Reveal Resurgence in China-Africa Relations
Kenya signed a $280.9 million loan agreement with China Development Bank to refurbish rural roads. The deal will tackle fifteen different road projects across the country. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, John Mbadi, signed the agreement in Beijing late ...
Chinese Exports Top Forecasts but Imports Slow Sharply
China's exports jumped in August but imports fell well short of expectations, data showed Tuesday, as the country's leaders struggle to boost consumption in the world's second-largest economy. Overseas shipments expanded 8.7 percent on-year last month, according to China's General Administration ...
U.S. Military Warns Beijing Against ‘Dangerous’ South China Sea Moves in Talks
A senior U.S. military official warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing's "dangerous" moves in the South China Sea during the first talks between the commanders. Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of self-ruled Taiwan ...
Economic Giants Align: Brazil’s Growing Partnership with China
2024 has been a pivotal year for Brazil-China relations. Last month marked 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations, and in celebration of this milestone, President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Brazil by the end of the year. ...
Philippines Says China Air Force Harassed Its Plane Over Disputed Reef
The Philippine military on Saturday accused China's air force of "dangerous and provocative actions" against one of its planes patrolling over a disputed South China Sea reef. Two China air force aircraft "executed a dangerous maneuver at around 9:00am and dropped ...
It’s Time to Take the BRICS More Seriously
As longtime readers of this column and listeners of our podcasts may know, I've been quite critical of the BRICS in recent years. Beyond the creation of a mid-sized development finance bank, this is a group with few other accomplishments to boast about in its 15-year existence. ...
Dozens of Global South Foreign Ministers Arrive in Western Russia for BRICS+ Gathering
Foreign Ministers from the ten member states of the BRICS+ group, along with their counterparts from across the Global South, are gathering in the western Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod for two days of meetings. In all, some 20-25 countries are expected ...
No, Brazil is Not Targeting Chinese E-Commerce Trade With a 20% Tarrif
News has been circulating online for the past week that Brazil passed a law purportedly imposing a steep tariff on low-cost imports, specifically targeting goods purchased on Chinese e-commerce sites like Shein. According to the German news agency Deutsche Welle: ...
China Claps Back at Biden BRI Diss, Says U.S. Should “Do Something Real” for Africa
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hit back against U.S. President Joe Biden's criticisms of the Belt and Road Initiative and the insinuation that Beijing is engaging in predatory lending practices in Africa. This latest spat began last week when Time ...
Why Indonesia Courts China For AI Collaboration and How to Make the Most of It
Earlier this year, the Indonesian government declared its intention to bolster collaboration with China in advancing its national artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. Nezar Patria, Deputy Minister of Kominfo, said that working together with many countries on the national AI ecosystem “will strengthen Indonesia's position in free ...
China Says ‘Issued a Warning’ to U.S. Navy Ship in South China Sea
Beijing's military on Friday said it had tailed and issued a warning to a U.S. Navy ship in the disputed South China Sea, just days after the same vessel sparked China's ire by sailing through the Taiwan Strait. Beijing claims almost ...
Philippines Defense Chief Says Military Must Evolve Fast
The Philippine military must evolve fast because of threats to a "free and open" Asia-Pacific region, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Friday at the end of annual exercises with the United States. Teodoro, whose comments were made amid a festering maritime ...
China Says Envoy Held Talks on Ukraine War in Middle East
China's Eurasia envoy has wrapped up a third round of shuttle diplomacy over the war in Ukraine, Beijing said Friday, as it seeks to position itself as a mediator in the conflict. China, which claims to be a neutral party in ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Implicitly Accused Beijing of Setting “Debt Traps
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took aim at Chinese development financing in developing countries, implicitly accusing Beijing of setting "debt traps." Kishida made the remarks in Brazil on Saturday during a South American tour that is widely seen as an effort to challenge Beijing's growing influence in the ...
The Infrastructure Cold War
This week, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee heard testimony about foreign investments channeled by the Development Finance Corporation (DFC), an agency founded in the late Trump era and key to the implementation of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the Biden administration’s global infrastructure rollout ...
China-Africa Relations in the Era of Great Power Competition
A prominent French TV journalist was visibly surprised when DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi bluntly told him that he prefers to work with Chinese and Russian partners rather than those from the West. The exchange ...
U.S. Promises More Joint Patrols in the South China Sea While the PLA Boosts “War Preparation”
The United States and China both sent strong signals to one another that neither side has any plans to back down from their increasingly contentious duel in the South China Sea. In Washington, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan briefed the media ...
Haunting Video of China Coast Guard Ship Stalking Malaysian Fishermen
A video of a China Coast Guard ship stalking a small Malaysian fishing craft went viral on Tuesday on both Facebook and X. The undated video was purportedly shot within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone near Terumbu Sahap in South Luconia Shoals, ...
Gaza War Erodes Support for U.S. in Key Mideast Countries, Boosting Popularity of China and Russia, Says Poll
There's new evidence China is benefitting from the U.S.' unconditional support for Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza, according to the findings of a new public opinion survey conducted last month in four key countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
China Not a Significant Factor in Ghana’s Debt Distress – World Bank
Ghana has relatively low exposure to loans from China and multiple creditors, enabling the country to reach debt restructuring agreements. Chinese creditors account for only 7% of Ghana’s public external debt, while China accounts for 36% of Zambia’s external debt and ...
U.S. Should Increase Engagement With African Countries For Greater Access to Critical Minerals – Report
The U.S. should boost engagement with African countries in mutually beneficial partnerships to be the continent’s preferred partner for critical minerals development. This will not be easy, as there is no sign that China is retreating in African markets, and the U.S.’s economic competition in Africa is ...
BYD is Launching Its Next Gen Blade EV Battery and That’s Really Bad News for Both DR Congo, Indonesia
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD announced the launch date for its next generation Blade EV battery that will be released in August with 27% more energy density than the current power pack. The new battery will also be sufficient for most cars to ...
China Responds Nervously as Washington’s Asian Allies Gather for Landmark Summit
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Washington to begin several days of landmark meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and later on Thursday when both will be joined by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This week's trilateral summit will be the ...
U.S. Says ‘Very, Very Concerned’ About Chinese Actions in Disputed Sea
The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific on Tuesday said Washington was "very, very concerned" about Beijing's recent "dangerous" actions in the disputed South China Sea, after confrontations with Philippine vessels. Speaking in Sydney, United States Indo-Pacific Command head Admiral ...
Chinese Peacekeepers Pulling out of DR Congo
Chinese peacekeepers with the UN stabilization mission in eastern DR Congo attended a departure ceremony on Tuesday as the force withdrew from the war-torn region. The 15,000 MONUSCO troops deployed in the vast central African country started to leave in February ...
Biden Welcomes Japan PM for State Visit With Eye on China
By Danny KEMP U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the White House on Tuesday, kicking off a state visit that included a major upgrade in defense ties against a resurgent China.
China-Argentina Ties Teeter on Financial, Trade Concerns
Argentina is balancing a high-wire act in its relations with China — one of its largest trading partners and a crucial source of funding for Buenos Aires during its financial crisis. Both sides seem to be taking a practical approach to ...
Outcry Grows as U.S. Reduces Scrutiny of Chinese Entering U.S. From Mexico
Concerns are growing after U.S. Customs and Border Protection expedited the screening process for Chinese asylum seekers amid a record leap in such cases. The CBP slashed the number of questions it asks inbound Chinese asylum seekers from roughly 40 to five after ...
China Looms Over Jokowi’s Southeast Asia Trip
Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo embarked on a Southeast Asian tour this week, visiting the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei. The visit comes as China steps into a more assertive role in Southeast Asia. Its territorial claims in the South China Sea ...
Chinese EV Leader BYD to Launch in Indonesia
BYD, the Chinese car company that recently surpassed Tesla to become the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, will launch its first products in the Indonesian market next week. As Southeast Asia’s largest market, Indonesia will be key to the regional rollout of ...
Maldivian President Courts Investors, Controversy During China Trip
Mohamed Muizzu, the newly elected president of the Maldives, met with business leaders and Party officials in the Southeastern province of Fujian during the first phase of his five-day visit to China. Speaking at an “Invest Maldives” event in Fuzhou on Monday,
China’s Top Diplomat Sketches Foreign Policy Vision
Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and the CCP’s top diplomat, said relations with the United States stabilized last year after facing serious challenges. Wang spoke at a seminar on the past year in diplomacy hosted by two prominent Chinese think tanks. He reflected ...
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 ...
China-Argentina Ties Teeter on Financial, Trade Concerns
Argentina is balancing a high-wire act in its relations with China — one of its largest trading partners and a crucial source of funding for Buenos Aires during its financial crisis. Both sides seem to be taking a practical approach to ...
Outcry Grows as U.S. Reduces Scrutiny of Chinese Entering U.S. From Mexico
Concerns are growing after U.S. Customs and Border Protection expedited the screening process for Chinese asylum seekers amid a record leap in such cases. The CBP slashed the number of questions it asks inbound Chinese asylum seekers from roughly 40 to five after ...
China Looms Over Jokowi’s Southeast Asia Trip
Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo embarked on a Southeast Asian tour this week, visiting the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei. The visit comes as China steps into a more assertive role in Southeast Asia. Its territorial claims in the South China Sea ...
Chinese EV Leader BYD to Launch in Indonesia
BYD, the Chinese car company that recently surpassed Tesla to become the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, will launch its first products in the Indonesian market next week. As Southeast Asia’s largest market, Indonesia will be key to the regional rollout of ...
Maldivian President Courts Investors, Controversy During China Trip
Mohamed Muizzu, the newly elected president of the Maldives, met with business leaders and Party officials in the Southeastern province of Fujian during the first phase of his five-day visit to China. Speaking at an “Invest Maldives” event in Fuzhou on Monday,
China’s Top Diplomat Sketches Foreign Policy Vision
Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and the CCP’s top diplomat, said relations with the United States stabilized last year after facing serious challenges. Wang spoke at a seminar on the past year in diplomacy hosted by two prominent Chinese think tanks. He reflected ...