In terms of geopolitical optics, this week was nothing short of a banquet. It served up at least two sets of images that seem to crystallize our historical moment and that will live on in the Wikipedia of history as shorthand for where the world was in 2025.
One is the waves of uncannily synchronized soldiers and a bewildering array of high-tech weaponry gliding down Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue. The ...
Day: January 9, 2025
Related Posts
BYD’s Labor Scandal in Brazil Widens
A partner company to the Chinese auto giant BYD reportedly used irregular visas to bring hundreds of Chinese workers to build a factory in Brazil. It is the latest revelation from an ongoing labor scandal following authorities’ discovery of 163 workers for the contractor Jinjiang working in “slavery-like ...
Wang Yi’s Visit to Chad Overlaps with Armed Attack on Presidential Complex
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Chad reportedly almost took an unexpected turn, with the country’s military saying it foiled an attack on the presidential headquarters in the capital of N’Djamena just hours after Wang’s talks with government officials. At ...
A Bumpy Year Ahead? Three Things To Watch in 2025
By Lukas Fiala A little over a month ago, we argued the upcoming Trump presidency may well present an opportunity for Beijing to push ahead with its quest to transform global order to benefit Chinese interests. With Trump 2.0 fast approaching ...
BYD Leads Indonesia’s Electric Vehicle Market in 2024, Challenging Wuling’s Overall Dominance
Chinese automakers transformed Indonesia’s electric vehicle (EV) landscape in 2024, with BYD emerging as the dominant force in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales and challenging Wuling’s long-standing leadership across all vehicle categories. The fierce competition highlights the growing influence of ...
Africa-China 2025: Tracking Priorities on Both Sides
2025 marks a quarter-century since the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit. Since then, Africa-China engagement has been nothing short of transformational - both changing skylines across the continent and reshaping the role of the Global South in world politics more broadly.
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
China’s Expanding Middle East Footprint: Key Trends for 2025
China’s engagement in the Middle East has grown significantly in recent years, driven by its quest for energy security, global influence, and economic connectivity through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). By 2025, three key trends are likely to shape Beijing’s approach to the region, highlighting both ...
Hundreds Protest Against Illegal Mining In East DR Congo
Several hundred people demonstrated Wednesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo to protest illegal mining in the country's east, where authorities are investigating claims of widespread illicit Chinese involvement. The gathering followed the announcement Sunday of the arrest of three Chinese ...
Fears About China Underlie Trump’s Interest in Greenland
By Camille Bas-Wohlert Greenland, which the U.S. President-elect wants to annex, is a self-governing Danish territory covered in ice, with untapped mineral resources -- and geostrategic importance. In December, Trump said control of the Arctic ...
Panama Canal CEO Says Trump’s Plans Would ‘Lead to Chaos’
Granting Donald Trump's demand for U.S. ships passing through the Panama Canal to get preferential treatment would "lead to chaos," the head of the authority running the waterway said Wednesday. "Rules are rules and there are no exceptions," Panama Canal Authority ...
From 1991 to Today: The Significance of the Chinese Foreign Minister’s Annual Africa Tour
For 35 consecutive years, even during the COVID pandemic, Chinese diplomacy has upheld the tradition of dedicating its first annual diplomatic trip to Africa. This unwavering commitment to Africa is unparalleled by any other country on the UN Security Council, in ...