Day: May 1, 2024
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With Angola Trip, Biden Fulfills His Promise to Visit Sub-Saharan Africa
By Aurélia End Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden is headed to the southern African country of Angola this week, fulfilling a key promise in a bid to shore up ties with the continent. Biden, who ...
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Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on BRICS Countries Over Currency Plans
President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations if they undercut the U.S. dollar. "We require a commitment... that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency ...
China Says Malaysia PM to Visit Next Week
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will visit China next week, Beijing said Friday. The visit will take place from Monday to Thursday, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing. Anwar ...
Chinese Companies Engage in Massive “Forest Looting” in the DR Congo
Two Chinese logging companies are now the largest timber harvesters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with concessions sized at more than 3 million hectares. The firms, Wan Peng and Booming Green, are engaged in industrial-scale logging to export raw ...
China Says Holds First Dual Aircraft Carrier Drills in South China Sea
China has conducted its first military drills with its two operational aircraft carriers in the contested South China Sea, state media said Thursday. State media did not specify when the exercises with the Liaoning and Shandong vessels took place, though it ...
WEEK in REVIEW: Prabowo’s Five-Nation Trip Begins with China, U.S.
The Chinese embassy in Brazil condemned U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai for trying to discourage the South American country from joining the Belt and Road Initiative. The embassy said in a statement that Tai's comments were "disrespectful" and Brazil's sovereignty to choose its trade partners "should be respected."
A Sweet Surprise? The Reasons Behind China & India’s Thawing Relationship
By Saniya Kulkarni One of the more prominent stories coming out of the BRICS summit last week is the formal bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first one of its kind since 2019. ...
Indian and Chinese Troops Gift Sweets at Contested Border
Indian and Chinese troops exchanged boxes of sweets on Thursday at two points on their contested high-altitude border, a week after the leaders of the Asian rivals held a rare meeting. China and India, the world's two most populous nations, are ...
Competing Naval Drills in South China Sea Raise Tensions
Competing naval exercises got underway in the South China Sea this week, further raising tensions in a region marked by overlapping territorial claims. The Philippine Navy cooperated with allies in carrying out a maritime cooperative activity (MCA) exercise, which focused on ...
Connecting to African Power: Trends from The China-Global South Project’s Africa-China Energy Tracker
As Africa moves into the second quarter of this century, it faces a complex set of opportunities and perils. The continent’s vibrant youth population, mineral wealth, and vast capacity for renewable energy are examples of such opportunities. However, the continent is also subject to a nexus of ...
With an Eye on China, Angola Becomes Key Partner for U.S. Ambitions for Africa
By Bronwen Roberts Joe Biden's choice of Angola as his first trip to Africa as president underscores the oil-rich country's influence as the focus of one of the biggest U.S. infrastructure projects on the continent, countering China's investments. ...
Africa’s EV Adoption Accelerates With Chinese Partnerships
Across Africa, Chinese companies have made inroads in the EV market because, according to local dealers, they are much easier to work with than automakers from other countries, particularly those from Europe and the United States, among others.
Algeria Joins the BRICS New Development Bank
Algeria has been approved for membership in the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), the country’s finance ministry has announced. The decision was taken on Saturday and announced by NDB chief Dilma Rousseff at a Cape Town, South Africa meeting.
Five Key Chinese Belt and Road Projects in Africa
China has vowed to beef up its vast Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative, promising "high-quality cooperation" ahead of a summit with African leaders in Beijing starting on Wednesday. Africa is already a key Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) region, with ...
African Leaders in Beijing Eyeing Big Loans and Investment
By Oliver Hotham African leaders will arrive in China's capital this week, seeking funds for big-ticket infrastructure projects as they face mounting great power competition over resources and influence on the continent. China has expanded ...
Palestine’s Beijing Declaration: An Indonesian Perspective
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. China's growing role in global peacekeeping, especially regarding Middle East affairs, ...
Jendayi Frazer on U.S.-China Geopolitical Competition in Africa
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week on what the U.S. needs to do to better compete with China in Africa and other developing regions. Campbell bluntly told senators Washington "has ...
How Would a Trump Presidency Compete with China in the Global South?
By Lukas Fiala With Kamala Harris’ campaign gathering pace over the past week, the race for the U.S. presidency is now more open than just a couple of weeks ago. And yet, with the specter of Trump 2.0 looming over policy ...
Attention Shifts to Chinese Debt Following Ethiopia’s IMF, World Bank Deals
This week, the Ethiopian government struck a pair of deals with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that will pave the way to restructure the country's $29 billion external debt, a quarter of which is owed to Chinese creditors.
Chinese, Philippines Coast Guard Squabble Over South China Sea Fishers’ Rescue
A dispute broke out between the Chinese and Philippines Coast Guards on Saturday when a Filipino fishing craft issued a distress call after its engine exploded near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Two of the fishers were ...
Peru’s Pivot to China is a Major Setback for the United States
There was a brief moment earlier this year when it looked like the United States was going to succeed in its effort to put some distance between Peru and China. U.S. diplomats had lobbied hard behind the scenes to get the Peruvian government to reassess the ...
Pros & Cons of China’s Investment Influx In Indonesia’s Textile Sector
This article is co-authored by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Director of the China-Indonesia Desk at the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), and Yeta Purnama, researcher at CELIOS. Recently, the spotlight has turned to Chinese investments in Indonesia's textile sector following remarks by ...
Unlocking Africa’s Clean Energy Potential With Prefeasibility Funding
By Tsitsi Musasike, Jiaqi Lu, Adjekai Adjei, and Kevin P. Gallagher The second decade of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promises to be bigger, better, and, importantly, greener. According to the Chinese Loans ...
Pakistan PM to Visit China Next Week: Beijing
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China and meet President Xi Jinping next week, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Friday. Beijing is Islamabad's closest regional ally, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often-struggling neighbor.
Philippines’ Marcos Says U.S. Presence Crucial to Regional Peace
By Satish Cheney and Martin Abbugao Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Friday that the United States presence is "crucial to regional peace" as the Southeast Asian country faces growing Chinese pressure in waters off its coastline.
China Coast Guard Becoming ‘More Aggressive’: Philippines
China's coast guard has become more aggressive towards Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, and its water cannon attacks could threaten the lives of crew, a government spokesman in Manila warned Wednesday. A series of high-seas incidents involving the two ...
Wang Yi Wraps Diplomatic Blitz With South American Foreign Ministers
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded a four-day diplomatic sprint with a trio of his counterparts from strategically vital countries in South America. All three foreign ministers from Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru were in Beijing for separate meetings with senior Chinese ...
China’s Special Envoy for the Mideast Briefs Arab Diplomats in Beijing
China's Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun briefed Arab and Persian Gulf diplomats on Wednesday about Beijing's latest positions in the region. Zhai reportedly addressed the recent talks between representatives from the rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas that ...
China Confirms Palestinian Talks Happened, But Won’t Share Any Details
The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that talks between the two largest Palestinian factions, Fatah that governs the West Bank and Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip, did take place in Beijing last week but refused to provide any details on what was discussed.
South Korea Discussing Participation in AUKUS Tech Pact: Defense Minister
South Korea's defense minister on Wednesday said his country was actively discussing participation in a landmark defense technology pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "During today's meeting, we also discussed the possibility of partnering with AUKUS pillar ...
China’s New Aircraft Carrier Conducts First Sea Trials: State Media
China's Fujian aircraft carrier took to the water for its maiden sea trials on Wednesday, state media said. This is a key next step in Beijing's vast naval build-up as it carves out a more assertive role for itself in the Pacific and beyond. ...
Chinese Communist Party’s Top Diplomat Pays ‘Courtesy Call’ to Malaysian PM
The Chinese Communist Party's most senior diplomat, Liu Jianchao, met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday and confirmed that Chinese PM Li Qiang will visit Kuala Lumpur at the end of the year. Liu, who is widely believed to be ...
U.S., Japan to Conduct Joint Naval Patrols With the Philippines in the South China Sea
Tensions in the South China Sea are poised to increase significantly when the U.S. and Japanese navies join the Philippines for joint patrols in contested waters that China also claims. News of the proposed joint naval maneuvers was leaked to ...
Indonesia’s President-Elect Arrives in China for Highly Unusual Visit
Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto arrived in Beijing on Sunday for what many observers describe as a highly unusual visit that will include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is extremely rare for a foreign leader who has not even been sworn ...
Fresh Off His Visit to Washington, Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Heads Straight to Beijing
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn will be in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday this week for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. The trip comes just one week after Sơn was in Washington, where he met with U.S. Secretary of State ...
Pakistan Official Says China Halted Work on Two Projects After Deadly Attack
By Lehaz Ali Chinese contractors have halted construction on two major dam projects in Pakistan after a suicide bomber killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver this week, a provincial official told AFP on Friday.
Chinese Analysts Speculate About Who Was Behind Last Week’s Terrorist Attack in Pakistan and What Was the Motivation
There's been quite a bit of news coverage in China about last week's terrorist attack in Pakistan that killed five Chinese nationals and their local driver on a remote road in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Most of those stories, though, ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Tuvalu’s New Government Reaffirmed Its Support for Diplomatic Relations With Taiwan
Tuvalu's new government reaffirmed its support for diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of switching to China. Prime Minister Feleti Teo's administration released a Statement of Priorities on Wednesday that included a commitment to maintain nearly half-century-old ties with Taiwan. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Beijing’s New Ambassador to Angola Arrives at a Critical Juncture in Africa-China Relations
By Lukas Fiala The arrival of China’s new ambassador, Zhang Bin, to Angola last week was barely noticed outside the niche community watching Chinese diplomacy. While this posting is reportedly Zhang’s first ambassadorial appointment, it is not his first in Angola. ...
Chinese Diplomacy in Sierra Leone and Nigeria With Tobi Oshodi
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio is in the midst of a five-day visit to China that included talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, among other high-level officials. While Bio is getting a lot of face-time with China’s ...
Southeast Asia: Best Place To Celebrate Chinese New Year Outside China
Chinese migration is one of the oldest and largest movements of people in the world. The latest tide lasted for over 300 years, which intensified in the sixteenth century and again in the nineteenth century due to the Opium Wars. As a result, there are about ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Kenya to Overhaul China Policy & Chinese Infrastructure in the DRC
Kenya has a new envoy to China, Willy Bett, who formally presented his credentials to President Xi Jinping this week. Among Ambassador Bett's first tasks will be to follow up on Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi's promise to craft ...
Chinese Party-to-Party Diplomacy in Rwanda
Wellars Gasamagera, the Secretary-General of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front party met with Wang Huning, one of Xi Jinping’s key political advisors and a senior member of the Communist Party of China. Wang is currently a member of ...
China’s Hunan Province Boosts Status as African Trade Hub
Trade between the African continent and the central Chinese province of Hunan grew to $7.79 billion in 2023. The increase solidifies Hunan’s status as a center of African agricultural trade. The province was integrated into regional transport networks, which positioned it as a fresh commodities hub.
Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard Trade Barbs Over Encounter on Remote South China Sea Shoal
Tensions between the Chinese and Philippines Coast Guard moved from the South China Sea to social media where the two sides on Wednesday battled it out over shaping the narrative about an encounter that occurred two weeks ago. On January 12,
Video of Indian Shepherds Confronted by Chinese Soldiers Along Disputed Border Sparks Outrage
A viral video of a tense encounter between Indian sheepherders and a group of Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers that took place on January 2 and surfaced Wednesday on social media is sparking widespread outrage in India. The ...
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 Coast Guard Becoming ‘More Aggressive’: Philippines
China's coast guard has become more aggressive towards Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, and its water cannon attacks could threaten the lives of crew, a government spokesman in Manila warned Wednesday. A series of high-seas incidents involving the two ...
Wang Yi Wraps Diplomatic Blitz With South American Foreign Ministers
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded a four-day diplomatic sprint with a trio of his counterparts from strategically vital countries in South America. All three foreign ministers from Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru were in Beijing for separate meetings with senior Chinese ...
China’s Special Envoy for the Mideast Briefs Arab Diplomats in Beijing
China's Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun briefed Arab and Persian Gulf diplomats on Wednesday about Beijing's latest positions in the region. Zhai reportedly addressed the recent talks between representatives from the rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas that ...
China Confirms Palestinian Talks Happened, But Won’t Share Any Details
The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that talks between the two largest Palestinian factions, Fatah that governs the West Bank and Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip, did take place in Beijing last week but refused to provide any details on what was discussed.
South Korea Discussing Participation in AUKUS Tech Pact: Defense Minister
South Korea's defense minister on Wednesday said his country was actively discussing participation in a landmark defense technology pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "During today's meeting, we also discussed the possibility of partnering with AUKUS pillar ...
China’s New Aircraft Carrier Conducts First Sea Trials: State Media
China's Fujian aircraft carrier took to the water for its maiden sea trials on Wednesday, state media said. This is a key next step in Beijing's vast naval build-up as it carves out a more assertive role for itself in the Pacific and beyond. ...