Day: January 22, 2024
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Trump Threatens to Take Back Control of Panama Canal
Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump on Saturday slammed what he called unfair fees for U.S. ships passing through the Panama Canal and threatened to demand control of the waterway be returned to Washington. He also hinted at China's growing influence around ...
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Sri Lanka President to Visit Key Lender China
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will travel to the island's largest bilateral lender, China, for talks in January, he said on Saturday, days after completing a long-delayed foreign debt restructuring. China accounted for more than half of Sri Lanka's bilateral ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China Seeks to Restore Direct Flights India
Australia, Japan, and the U.S. on Sunday committed to closer military cooperation in training their forces as the countries deepened their ties in a bid to counter China’s military strength. Australia’s Minister of Defense Richard Marles hosted his counterparts for the trilateral ministers’ meeting- the first to be ...
BRICS Leaders Gather in Russia for First Meeting Since Enlargement
The leaders of the BRICS+ group will kick off the bloc’s first leaders’ summit since admitting new members this year. The gathering in Kazan, Russia, from Tuesday to Thursday this week comes as the group faces both increasingly stark geopolitical tensions and new disputes among the recent ...
China and India Reach Border Patrolling Deal
India and China reached an agreement about military patrols along their disputed border, according to a senior Indian official. It could pave the way for the easing of tensions between the two powers. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced on Monday: ...
China Says Reached ‘Resolution’ With India on Contested Border Issues
China said Tuesday it had reached a "resolution" with India over issues related to their disputed border after New Delhi said it had struck a deal with Beijing for military patrols along the frontier. China and India, the world's two most ...
Can China’s New BRI Bonds Spur Sustainable Development?
By Jiang Mengnan In June of this year, the Bank of China (BOC) issued the first sustainable development bonds, for which all funds raised were directed towards countries affiliated with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to the bank’s website. The ...
Three Big Global Questions on the IMF and World Bank’s Agenda
By Tim Hirschel-Burns The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are not the only places where global economic decision-making takes place, but arguably, no other institutions combine such global scope and implementation power. The United Nations (UN) serves as ...
Development Finance at a Crossroads: BRICS Challenge to Western-led Economic Order
We're going to see two starkly contrasting visions of the current international economic order this week when leaders from nearly two dozen developing countries gather in Russia for a BRICS summit while the development finance elite meet in Washington for the IMF-World Bank's annual meeting.
India Claims Major Breakthrough in Border Stand-off With China
India and China have reached a deal to de-escalate tensions along their bitterly disputed border in the Himalayas, potentially ending a contentious four-year stand-off between the two Asian powers. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said ...
Biden Says China ‘Testing Us,’ in Hot Mic Remarks to Quad Allies
By Brendan Smialowski with Danny Kemp in Washington U.S. President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic Saturday telling the leaders of Australia, India, and Japan that an aggressive China is "testing us," in remarks that risked undercutting a summit ...
Chinese Consortium Joins Botswana’s Renewable Energy Coterie
A Chinese consortium, Sinotswana Green Energy, is building a 100MW solar plant in Jwaneng, one of Botswana’s diamond mining towns some 170 kilometers west of the capital, Gaborone. The two Chinese members of this consortium are China Harbor Co ...
Head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce Pressures China to Implement Stalled Strategic Agreement
It's been four years since China and Iran signed the 25-year, $400 billion strategic cooperation agreement that has yet to get off the ground. That lack of progress in implementing the deal topped the agenda this week during a meeting between Samad ...
Could the Yuan Replace the Dollar in Saudi Arabia’s Oil Sales to China? Probably Not, But it’s Possible, Says S&P
It wasn't that long ago it would be inconceivable to suggest that Saudi Arabia would switch from the U.S. dollar to the Chinese yuan to settle oil transactions with Chinese buyers. While most analysts say that day is still a long way's off, it's not as far ...
Energy is Going to be the Hot Topic at Upcoming China-Africa Summit
African leaders will soon travel to Beijing to participate in the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, which will begin on September 4th. Many of those heads of state will arrive in the Chinese capital with a rather long wish list ...
China Urges Citizens in Lebanon to Leave ‘as Soon as Possible’
China on Thursday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave "as soon as possible," according to an embassy statement, the day after an Israeli strike in the country killed a senior Palestinian militant. "Recently, the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border has ...
3 Reasons Why China, Philippines Chose to Strike a Deal on Reef Resupply Missions
For more than a year now, we've been discussing the steadily intensifying conflict between the Philippines and China over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea and how the two sides have failed to create any policy off-ramps that would allow them to de-escalate their feud. ...
Marcos Says Philippines ‘Cannot Yield’ in Territorial Disputes
By Cecil Morella President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday that the Philippines "cannot yield" in territorial disputes, following a series of escalating confrontations with Beijing in the South China Sea. Manila is locked in a longstanding ...
Xi Pays Tribute at Embassy to Late Vietnamese Communist Party Chief
On Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Vietnamese embassy in Beijing to mourn the passing of Communist Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng. He was joined by senior members of his foreign policy team, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Communist Party foreign policy lead Liu Jianchao. ...
No Major Changes in Ties With China Expected From Vietnam’s Political Transition
The Vietnamese government will hold a state funeral this week for late Communist Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, who passed away on Friday. The country will effectively shut down on Thursday and Friday for two days of national mourning. Behind the ...
Niger Authorities Confirm Sabotage of Chinese-Built Oil Pipeline by Rebels
Niger's military rulers have confirmed the sabotage of an oil pipeline carrying crude oil to neighboring Benin after a rebel movement seeking the release of the country's president claimed responsibility for the attack. On the night of June 16-17, "malicious individuals ...
Serbian Media on Xi Jinping’s Visit to Belgrade
In this edition of the ChinaMed Observer, we analyze the Serbian media debate on relations with China on the occasion of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Belgrade. By Anja Duvnjak and Leonardo Bruni ...
Chinese Embassy in Kenya Hosts Unusual Event About Taiwan
The Chinese embassy in Kenya hosted an unusual forum on Monday that focused on Beijing's already well-known position regarding the status of Taiwan. Ambassador Zhou Pingjian apparently wanted to make it very clear to the nearly two dozen senior officials, MPs, and ...
Kenya’s Chinese Debt to be on the Agenda When Ruto Arrives in Washington
Kenyan President William Ruto will arrive in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, the midway point of a four-day visit to the United States that will include talks with President Joe Biden. U.S. officials said in advance of Ruto's arrival that debt relief ...
Saudi Finance Minister in Beijing Wraps Hectic Two Days of High Level Talks
Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan concluded a two-day visit to Beijing on Tuesday that included high-level talks with his counterpart Lan Fo'an and Vice Premier He Lifeng, China's point man on relations with the Kingdom. Al-Jadaan was joined on the trip ...
Why It May Be Premature to Trust Nigerian, Kenyan Media Reports on New Chinese Railway Funding
A word of caution about a flurry of headlines circulating in the Kenyan and Nigerian press this week claiming that China has committed to spending billions of dollars on new railway projects in both countries. Something just doesn't sound right about these stories. It's interesting ...
Zambia’s Finance Minister Acknowledged His Country Borrowed Too Much From China
Zambian Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said the quiet part out loud when he acknowledged that previous administrations borrowed too much money from China. “The level of debt that Zambia acquired from China was way, way too high,” he told the Wall ...
The Long Arm of Chinese Law Enforcement in Southeast Asia
Two China Eastern planes chartered by the Ministry of Public Security arrived in Wuhan from Cambodia on Sunday carrying the last batch of 680 telecom fraud suspects apprehended in a joint Sino-Cambodian police operation earlier this month. Soon after they disembarked, ...
Massive U.S.-Philippine Joint Military Exercises Get Underway With the Goal of Sending a Clear Message to China
Nearly 17,000 soldiers from four countries are mobilizing in the Philippines as part of unprecedented joint military exercises that are bound to further strain tensions with Beijing over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The annual “Balikatan" exercises, named after the ...
‘China Is the Winner’ in Maldives Election
A landslide parliamentary election victory for the Maldives' pro-China president clears the way for him to redraw the physical and geopolitical map of his strategically-located Indian Ocean archipelago in Beijing's favor, diplomats and analysts say. President Mohamed Muizzu's party, the People's ...
All Hands-on Deck Needed for Development Finance—including China
By Tim Hirschel-Burns Many people in the development finance community migrated up the United States' eastern seaboard over the weekend. Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group Spring Meetings took place in Washington D.C., while this week ...
Philippines, U.S. Launch Annual Joint Military Drills
By Pam CASTRO Thousands of Filipino and American troops kicked off joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, as Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region raises fears of a conflict. The annual drills—dubbed Balikatan, ...
Pro-China Solomons PM Fails To Secure Outright Majority
The incumbent prime minister of Solomon Islands was set to fall short of an outright election majority Monday, forcing the pro-Beijing Pacific leader to woo an unwieldy mix of potential coalition partners. According to provisional results reported by the public broadcaster, ...
Landslide Win for Pro-China Leader’s Party in Maldives Vote
By Mohamed Visham Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's party won control of parliament in a Sunday election landslide, results showed, with voters backing his tilt towards China and away from regional powerhouse and traditional benefactor India. ...
The Sky is the Limit: Aviation and Africa-China Relations
By Lukas Fiala When Angolan President João Lourenço returned from China over the last week, he made a few noteworthy announcements. However, Lourenço’s apparent desire to have China finance an air force base in Angola stood out.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Why Angola is the “Vietnam of Africa”
Angolan President João Lourenço returned from a three-day visit to China loaded with goodies. He secured an upgrade in diplomatic ties, promises of new investment and, most importantly, a major reduction in monthly debt payments. ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China to Reportedly Launch International Hunt for Officials Suspected of Corruption in BRI Projects
The Chinese government will reportedly launch an international hunt for officials suspected of corruption in Belt and Road Initiative projects. This will form part of a wider crackdown on corruption in President Xi Jinping’s signature infrastructure and connectivity project. The strike will involve several state agencies and will ...
Misadventures in the Skin Trade
This week I spent a few days in Cape Town, in time for a minor, if telling, crisis in international agricultural trade. A ship crammed with 19,000 (mostly still living) cows was stuck in Cape Town harbor, en route from Brazil to the Middle East.
India, China Border Talks End With a Positive Vibe But No Substantive Outcomes
Indian and Chinese military commanders wrapped up their 21st round of talks aimed at resolving escalating tensions along their disputed 3,200-kilometer border. The corps commander-level talks were held this week at the Chusual-Moldo meeting point in a region known as the Line of ...
Indian Military to Open New Facilities at Sea and in the Mountains to Counter China
The Indian military announced it will build a new naval facility in the Indian Ocean and restructure part of its deployment near the Himalayas near the border with China, both with an eye to counter Beijing's increased assertiveness in those theaters. The ...
China Seeks Global South Support for New Governance System as Beijing Undermines Current Rules Based Order, Says U.S. Official
China is freeloading off the current rules-based international order while at the same time undermining the system to suit its agenda to implement an alternate global governance architecture, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. Daniel Kritenbrink, Washington's top diplomat for ...
Scholars, Analysts Meet in Washington to Discuss China’s Influence in the Global South
Scholars and analysts from around the world gathered at the Washington, D.C. headquarters of The Atlantic Council think tank on Wednesday for a two-day conference focused on evaluating China's growing influence in Asia, Africa, the Americas and other developing regions. The ...
Blinken in Africa This Week Where He Will Try Hard to Avoid Talking About China
One week after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up a four-nation visit to Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday embarked on his own week-long, four-stop tour of the continent that will take him to Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola. ...
Wang Yi Wrapped Up LatAm-Caribbean Tour With Stops in Brazil and Jamaica
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi headed back home on Sunday after a ten-day tour of Africa and the Americas that ended in Jamaica, where he met with Prime Minister Andrews Holness. Before arriving in Kingston on Saturday, Wang was in Brazil, ...
How China is Both Benefiting and Suffering From the Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea
Houthi militants in Yemen confirmed on Friday that Chinese and Russian vessels will be granted safe passage through the Red Sea while ships from other countries, particularly those from the U.S. and Europe on their way to/from Israel, will continue to be targeted for attack. ...
Israel’s Ambassador to China Seeks to Maintain Economic Ties Amid Strains Over Gaza War
Israel's ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba Vitale, acknowledged that her government and China have not been able to resolve their differences over the war in Gaza but said that she hopes the dispute will not derail economic ties. "We argue on ...
Shake-Up in China’s Maritime Militia in South China Sea
China's informal maritime militia in the South China Sea is reportedly undergoing a "major rotation" with 27 vessels, mostly medium-size fishing ships, heading to disputed areas near the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. This so-called "maritime militia" is a crucial part ...
Tshisekedi Says Restructured Chinese Mining Deal Will Pave the Way for $7 Billion in New Infrastructure
Félix Tshisekedi was sworn in this weekend for a second five-year term following a landslide victory in December in an election that many of his opponents say was stolen. The president took the oath of office on Saturday before a packed ...
Chinese Factories in Ethiopia Close as Business Environment Worsens
The IMF is forecasting the Ethiopian economy will grow 6.2% this year, an impressive figure for a country that is digging itself out of a massive debt hole and recovering from the trauma of a two-year civil war. If the government ...
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 ...
Blinken in Africa This Week Where He Will Try Hard to Avoid Talking About China
One week after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up a four-nation visit to Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday embarked on his own week-long, four-stop tour of the continent that will take him to Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola. ...
Wang Yi Wrapped Up LatAm-Caribbean Tour With Stops in Brazil and Jamaica
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi headed back home on Sunday after a ten-day tour of Africa and the Americas that ended in Jamaica, where he met with Prime Minister Andrews Holness. Before arriving in Kingston on Saturday, Wang was in Brazil, ...
How China is Both Benefiting and Suffering From the Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea
Houthi militants in Yemen confirmed on Friday that Chinese and Russian vessels will be granted safe passage through the Red Sea while ships from other countries, particularly those from the U.S. and Europe on their way to/from Israel, will continue to be targeted for attack. ...
Israel’s Ambassador to China Seeks to Maintain Economic Ties Amid Strains Over Gaza War
Israel's ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba Vitale, acknowledged that her government and China have not been able to resolve their differences over the war in Gaza but said that she hopes the dispute will not derail economic ties. "We argue on ...
Shake-Up in China’s Maritime Militia in South China Sea
China's informal maritime militia in the South China Sea is reportedly undergoing a "major rotation" with 27 vessels, mostly medium-size fishing ships, heading to disputed areas near the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. This so-called "maritime militia" is a crucial part ...
Tshisekedi Says Restructured Chinese Mining Deal Will Pave the Way for $7 Billion in New Infrastructure
Félix Tshisekedi was sworn in this weekend for a second five-year term following a landslide victory in December in an election that many of his opponents say was stolen. The president took the oath of office on Saturday before a packed ...
Chinese Factories in Ethiopia Close as Business Environment Worsens
The IMF is forecasting the Ethiopian economy will grow 6.2% this year, an impressive figure for a country that is digging itself out of a massive debt hole and recovering from the trauma of a two-year civil war. If the government ...