Day: April 1, 2025
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China Confronts the Limits of Its Critical Mineral Power
If you want to see where great-power competition is most visible today, look to the fast-growing world of critical minerals. What began as a technical supply-chain issue has become a central arena in which the United States and China are testing their industrial strength, geopolitical leverage, and ...
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China Urges Evacuation After Attack on Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border
China’s embassy in Tajikistan called on its nationals to leave the country’s border zone with Afghanistan, after an attack killed three Chinese people and wounded one. The victims worked for the mining company LLC Shohin SM. Tajik authorities said ...
China Calls for End of U.S. Sanctions Against Venezuela, Cuba
China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday called on the United States to revoke its “Illegal and unilateral” sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba. The statement came after the announcement that the Trump administration will designate Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of Suns) as ...
Presidential Race in Honduras Puts China–Taiwan Diplomacy Back on the Line
Sunday’s presidential election in Honduras could shift the diplomatic balance between China and Taiwan in Latin America. The two frontrunners in the election have pledged to break diplomatic ties with Beijing and reestablish them with Taiwan. This follows the ...
Amid a Global Arms Boom, China Confronts Delays, Scrutiny, and a Rare Drop in Defense Sales
Sales by the world's top 100 arms makers reached a record $679 billion last year, as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza boosted demand, researchers said Monday, but production issues hampered deliveries. The figure was 5.9 percent higher than the year before, ...
The Silent Crisis Killing African EV Manufacturing
Kenya's electric vehicle innovations and adoptions are well documented but beneath the veneer lies a challenge that many do not speak of loudly- the capacity for local production of basic components. This is an issue that slows down growth not only ...
South Korea Hosts Xi as Chinese Leader Rekindles Fraught Ties
By Claire Lee South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted Xi Jinping for their first meeting on Saturday as the Chinese head of state took center stage and reforged old ties at an Asian summit from which U.S. leader Donald Trump ...
China’s Suspension of Rare Earth Controls Applies to EU: Official
By Alexandria Sage The EU's Commissioner for Trade, on Friday, said China's one-year suspension of its restrictions on rare earth materials would also apply to the bloc, as well as the United States. "My understanding ...
Japan PM Says Raised ‘Serious Concerns’ With Xi on South China Sea, Xinjiang
Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday she raised "serious concerns" about the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Xinjiang in a "candid" first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi, in turn, told Japan's first woman prime minister, ...
Trump to Meet Argentina’s President Amid China Soybean Tensions
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with his Argentine counterpart, Javier Millei, in two weeks. The meeting comes as huge exports to China threaten an economic deal between the two right-wing governments. Argentina’s soybean exports to China rose to ...
Top-Level Leadership Change In CPC’s International Outreach Body
Liu Jianchao, long the Communist Party of China’s head of international outreach, has been replaced by Liu Haixing, previously a high-ranking security official, as the head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC.) The body ...
China, Zambia and Tanzania Seal $1.4 Billion Deal to Modernize Tazara Railway
More than a year after a memorandum of understanding was signed in Beijing, China, Zambia and Tanzania have finalized an agreement to rehabilitate and modernize the Tazara railway. Built by China in the 1970s, the strategic line links Zambia to Tanzania and runs to the port of ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Nigeria Exports First Made-in-Africa EV to U.S. as Chinese Automakers Step Up Global Push
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EV Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. BYD is expanding its line-up for overseas markets by giving access to all of its China-developed ...
Erdogan Pitches Closer Alignment Between Türkiye’s Middle Corridor and China’s Belt and Road
In his first visit to China in five years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed that Ankara's Middle Corridor trade route more closely align with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Middle Corridor is a Turkish-backed multi-modal trade route that ...
Top Xi Deputy Takes Unexpectedly High Profile Role at SCO
One of Chinese President Xi Jinping's closest aides, Cai Qi, was uncharacteristically prominent in high-level discussions with visiting leaders this weekend on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin. Cai, Director of the Chinese Communist Party's General Office ...
Southeast Asia Attends SCO Summit as Xi Proposes New Bank
Five Southeast Asian leaders attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on Monday. China used the event to push for a bigger economic role for the bloc, proposing new tools such as a development bank and more lending for members.
Economics, Not Politics Are Driving Modi Closer to China, Says Scholar
There's been a lot of speculation as to why, after 4-5 years of bitter feuding, China and India are now deciding that the time is right to reconcile. The narrative in the U.S. and Europe focuses on the role of Donald Trump and his torpedoing of the ...
After Years of Acrimony, Xi and Modi Signal a Thaw: ‘Partners, Not Rivals’
"Partners not rivals" was the key message that emerged from highly anticipated talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin. The two leaders, both under mounting pressure ...
Xi Takes Veiled Swipe at Trump in Address to Eurasian Leaders
China's President Xi Jinping blasted "bullying behaviour" in the world order as he gathered Eurasian leaders on Monday for a showpiece summit aimed at putting Beijing front and centre of regional relations. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, comprising China, India, Russia, Pakistan, ...
Putin Defends Ukraine Invasion at China Summit, Blames West
Russian President Vladimir Putin sought on Monday to defend his Ukraine offensive to Moscow's allies, blaming the West for triggering the three-and-a-half year war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of eastern Ukraine. "This crisis was not triggered ...
China and Russia Use Eurasian Gathering to Push Back Against the West
By Isabelle Kua Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin took turns Monday to swipe at the West during a gathering of Eurasian leaders for a showpiece summit aimed at putting Beijing front and centre of regional relations.
Leaders Gather With China’s Xi for Summit Ceremony
By Isabel Kua Around two dozen Eurasian leaders will gather on Monday morning for a ceremony hosted by President Xi Jinping on the final day of a showpiece summit aimed at putting China front and centre of regional relations.
Chinese Social Media Mocks Japan’s Plan to Welcome African Migrants
When Tokyo announced it would welcome African migrants to revive depopulated towns, many Chinese online reacted with scorn. Japan announced plans to bring in African migrants through a “special talent visa program” unveiled at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African ...
On Chinese Social Media, Rwanda’s Army Looks Strikingly Like the PLA
On Chinese social media, a Bilibili video has left netizens marveling at how much Rwanda’s army has come to resemble the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The edit splices together clips of Rwandan infantry drills, martial art practices, parades, and even the hand gestures of their instructors. ...
What Would a Grand Bargain Between China and the U.S. Mean for the Rest of Us?
The prevailing view among Chinese intellectuals is that U.S.-China strategic rivalry is structural and enduring. Yan Yilong, for instance, describes the competition as “not merely a disagreement between two sovereign states” but a “structural conflict between the great rejuvenation of ...
Eswatini Builds Dam With Chinese Firm Despite Taiwan Ties
In a notable show of pragmatism, Eswatini, the only African country that maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, is working with Sinohydro, one of China’s largest state-owned construction firms.
[WEEK IN REVIEW] China Invests in Angola to Secure Food Supply Chains
Chinese construction giant Sinohydro signed a $100 million deal with Angola to build out the country's agricultural infrastructure in a bid to boost grain production. While 60% of the output from this venture will be shipped to China, the rest will ...
Egypt, China Sign Big Chemical Factory Deal
Egypt has signed a deal with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and East China Engineering Science and Technology Co. for a $658 million industrial complex that will focus on the production of phosphoric acid. The plant will use locally extracted phosphate ore.
China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan Eye New Regional Grouping
The governments of China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are reportedly in advanced talks to establish a new regional cooperation bloc. The Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune reported that the high-level meeting held between representatives of the three countries in Kunming on 19 June mainly focused on laying a new regional ...
A Peer-to-Peer Pivot in China’s Overseas Development Finance
By Rebecca Ray In 2024, China extended $6.1 billion in 20 commitments in public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) loans, according to a new update to the China’s Overseas Development Finance (CODF) Database managed by the Boston University Global Development Policy ...
Why Did the U.S. Bomb Iran? A Chinese Commentator Argues the Real Target Was Europe
An influential geo-political commentator on WeChat, Zhan Hao, offers a provocative interpretation of recent U.S. military actions in the Middle East. The article, titled “Unexpectedly, the biggest loser from the U.S. bombing of Iran is the European Union — it’s going to be drained dry in ...
Asian Development Bank Acting on U.S. Concerns Over China, Says Bank Chief
By Ali Bekhtaoui and Nick Perry The Asian Development Bank was trying "very hard" to accommodate U.S. concerns over lending to China, the bank's president told AFP, including by slashing loans to the world's second-largest economy.
Gay Chinese Couple Fulfil Wedding Dream in ‘Freer’ Thailand
By Sarah Lai When Wang Zengyi, 41, and Song Jihan, 29, first met at a friend's dinner party in China, it was love at first sight. "I thought he was handsome and pure," says Wang. ...
Sri Lanka Vows Closer Ties With China and India’s Left
Sri Lanka's government pledged closer ties on Thursday with Communist parties in China and India, two regional powers competing for influence in the small but strategically important nation. The leftist government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held its first May Day ...
With BRICS Platform, Indonesia Seeks Global South Solidarity
In Rio de Janeiro this week, Indonesia made its debut on the BRICS stage—not as an invited guest, but as a full member. Foreign Minister Sugiono’s presence at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting marked a milestone in Jakarta’s evolving approach to multilateral diplomacy, reflecting a growing confidence ...
China’s Eurasian Detour: Bypassing Russia, Dodging U.S. Sea Power
A once-overlooked trade route across the Eurasian landmass is now a key strategic priority for China in this new era of global uncertainty. The Middle Corridor—a multimodal network stretching from China’s western border through Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea, and into Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye—has ...
New Zealand, Phillippines Sign Troops Deal in ‘Deteriorating’ Strategic Environment
By Pam Castro The Philippines and New Zealand signed an agreement on Wednesday allowing the deployment of troops on each other's territory, a move aimed at bolstering security in a "deteriorating" strategic environment. The visiting ...
With BRICS Platform, Indonesia Seeks Global South Solidarity
In Rio de Janeiro this week, Indonesia made its debut on the BRICS stage—not as an invited guest, but as a full member. Foreign Minister Sugiono’s presence at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting marked a milestone in Jakarta’s evolving approach to multilateral diplomacy, reflecting a growing confidence ...
China’s Eurasian Detour: Bypassing Russia, Dodging U.S. Sea Power
A once-overlooked trade route across the Eurasian landmass is now a key strategic priority for China in this new era of global uncertainty. The Middle Corridor—a multimodal network stretching from China’s western border through Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea, and into Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye—has ...
China’s Solar Exports to Global South Soar
A new report by the sustainable energy research outlet Ember shows that China’s total solar panel exports rose by 10% last year, but that its exports to the Global South lept by 32%, while exports to the Global North fell by 6%. The developing world overtook developed ...
China’s Quake Relief a Messaging Win
The first batch of Chinese emergency aid arrived in Myanmar on Monday. By then, Chinese rescue teams were on the ground in Myanmar and Thailand, and they had rescued six people. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun framed the response as a sign of China’s regional commitment: ...
Chinese Firm Faces Investigation After Thai Building Collapse
A Chinese construction firm is under investigation following the collapse of a 30-floor skyscraper under construction in Bangkok during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Thailand and Myanmar late last week. The building was the only one to sustain damage among several skyscrapers in the district. The collapse ...
Military Chief Says Philippines ‘Inevitably’ Involved if Taiwan Invaded
The Philippines' military chief said Tuesday his country would "inevitably" be involved if neighboring Taiwan was invaded while warning China was working to infiltrate the Filipino military and other institutions. General Romeo Brawner made the comments as Beijing's military surrounded Taiwan ...
China Launches Military Drills Around Taiwan
By Joy Chiang with Mary Yang in Beijing China on Tuesday sent its army, navy, air, and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for drills Beijing said were aimed at practicing a blockade of the self-ruled island.
Taiwan Says China Deploys Shandong Aircraft Carrier Group Near Island
China has deployed its Shandong aircraft carrier group and other vessels around Taiwan, the island's defense ministry said Tuesday after Beijing announced military exercises to surround the self-ruled island. Taiwan has dispatched its own aircraft and ships, and deployed land-based missile ...
Nigerian Company Targets Increased EV Adoption With Free Charging & Competitive Prices
Nigeria’s electric vehicle (EV) sector is gradually shifting from skepticism to adoption, driven by growing awareness and cost-saving incentives. Corporate fleets, tech-savvy youth, and middle-to-high-income earners are leading the charge, attracted by Chinese brands like BYD and Neta and American ...
Great Power Politics in Trump 2.0: Shifts in the U.S.-India-China Relationships
By Saniya Kulkarni In Trump’s first week as President of the U.S., his administration has already moved ahead on key campaign talking points, including an escalated crackdown on illegal immigration, threats of tariff imposition on allies, and the ...
The Race for Southeast Asia’s EV Crown Intensifies in 2025
Southeast Asia is revving up for an electric vehicle (EV) showdown. Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam are all vying for dominance in the region’s rapidly growing EV market, drawing investments from global automakers, especially China’s EV giants. But with shifting ...
Chinese EVs Gaining Ground in South Africa Despite Hybrids Popularity
Chinese EVs' entry into South Africa is challenging the status quo with brands like Haval, Cherry, Omoda, and Jaecoo becoming a common sight in Gauteng, South Africa’s wealthiest province that includes Johannesburg. But, a survey by AutoTrader, an online ...
Philippines to Remove U.S. Missile System if China Ends ‘Coercive Behavior’
President Ferdinand Marcos said Thursday his government would remove a U.S. missile system from the Philippines if Beijing ended its "aggressive and coercive behavior" in the contested South China Sea and ceased claiming Filipino territory. The U.S. military deployed the Typhon ...
On First Trip, Rubio to Wield Big Stick in Latin America
By Shaun Tandon Traditionally, when U.S. secretaries of state make their international debuts, they travel to major U.S. allies and offer bromides about working together. Marco Rubio's first trip will be different. He will travel ...
Panama Marks Canal Handover Anniversary in Shadow of Trump Threat and Unfounded Accusations
By Juan Jose Rodriguez Panama on Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the United States handover of its interoceanic canal, a milestone overshadowed by President-elect Donald Trump's threat to demand control be returned to Washington. ...
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’s Solar Exports to Global South Soar
A new report by the sustainable energy research outlet Ember shows that China’s total solar panel exports rose by 10% last year, but that its exports to the Global South lept by 32%, while exports to the Global North fell by 6%. The developing world overtook developed ...
China’s Quake Relief a Messaging Win
The first batch of Chinese emergency aid arrived in Myanmar on Monday. By then, Chinese rescue teams were on the ground in Myanmar and Thailand, and they had rescued six people. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun framed the response as a sign of China’s regional commitment: ...
Chinese Firm Faces Investigation After Thai Building Collapse
A Chinese construction firm is under investigation following the collapse of a 30-floor skyscraper under construction in Bangkok during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Thailand and Myanmar late last week. The building was the only one to sustain damage among several skyscrapers in the district. The collapse ...
Military Chief Says Philippines ‘Inevitably’ Involved if Taiwan Invaded
The Philippines' military chief said Tuesday his country would "inevitably" be involved if neighboring Taiwan was invaded while warning China was working to infiltrate the Filipino military and other institutions. General Romeo Brawner made the comments as Beijing's military surrounded Taiwan ...
China Launches Military Drills Around Taiwan
By Joy Chiang with Mary Yang in Beijing China on Tuesday sent its army, navy, air, and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for drills Beijing said were aimed at practicing a blockade of the self-ruled island.
Taiwan Says China Deploys Shandong Aircraft Carrier Group Near Island
China has deployed its Shandong aircraft carrier group and other vessels around Taiwan, the island's defense ministry said Tuesday after Beijing announced military exercises to surround the self-ruled island. Taiwan has dispatched its own aircraft and ships, and deployed land-based missile ...
Nigerian Company Targets Increased EV Adoption With Free Charging & Competitive Prices
Nigeria’s electric vehicle (EV) sector is gradually shifting from skepticism to adoption, driven by growing awareness and cost-saving incentives. Corporate fleets, tech-savvy youth, and middle-to-high-income earners are leading the charge, attracted by Chinese brands like BYD and Neta and American ...