Day: April 14, 2025
Related Posts
China Retail Sales, Industrial Production Growth Slowed in October
By Peter Catterall Retail sales and factory activity in China slowed last month, official data showed Friday, highlighting the uphill battle facing authorities battling a persistent consumer malaise in the world's second-largest economy. Beijing has ...
Related Posts
China’s Tech Push Reshapes Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Fields, Bringing Big Gains and Bigger Risks
Claude Kaharo stands outside his traditional tobacco curing barn in Marondera, Mashonaland East, watching smoke billow from the thatched structure. Black scorch marks covering the circular hut are evidence of the countless wood-burning curing sessions he has managed over nearly a decade of farming. Now 56, the ...
China Summons Japanese Ambassador Over PM Taiwan Comments
China said on Friday it summoned the Japanese ambassador over remarks the country's new prime minister made about Taiwan. Last week, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Japan's parliament that armed attacks on Taiwan could warrant sending troops to support the island ...
Is China’s “Engineering State” the New Development Model for the Global South?
China’s rapid ascent from rural poverty to industrial superpower reshaped the global economy and established a new center of gravity for manufacturing. Today, Chinese factories anchor much of the world’s supply chains, producing goods at a speed and scale that few ...
China’s Xi Vows Closer Ties as Thai King Makes First Official Visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping promised closer ties with Thailand on Friday during talks with the first reigning Thai monarch to visit the country since diplomatic ties were established 50 years ago. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who has rarely made overseas state visits ...
China Moves from Infrastructure to Legal Influence in Africa
Prosecutors and representatives from twelve African countries — Ethiopia, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — gathered in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, on October 29, 2025, for the second China-Africa Prosecutorial Cooperation Forum. The meeting’s theme, ...
Nigeria and the U.S.-China-Geopolitics of a ‘Guns-a-Blazing’ Threat
The first few days of November delivered a powerful, if chilling, lesson in contemporary geopolitics for Abuja. When the U.S. President, Donald Trump, fresh from re-designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations, threatened to intervene militarily in the nation “guns-a-blazing” over allegations ...
How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report
Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This ...
Mapping Power Plants: What China’s Energy Footprint in Africa Tells Us
Over the last two decades, China has moved from the periphery to the very center of Africa’s power sector story. It has done so not quietly, but with the kind of scale, speed, and scope that makes it impossible to ignore. And yet, for all the attention ...
China Says Will ‘Fight to the End’ in U.S. Trade War
China said on Tuesday it was ready to "fight to the end" in a trade war with the United States after President Donald Trump said he would impose an additional 100 percent tariff on the world's second-largest economy. "On the matter ...
Trump, China and the New Power Politics in Asia
Chinese exports are booming—but ties with the U.S. are collapsing. Across Asia, from Beijing to Manila, Washington’s shifting strategy under Trump is reshaping alliances and testing security guarantees that have underpinned the region for decades. ...
China and the Bretton Woods Institutions
By Gregory T. Chin and Kevin P. Gallagher The global economic order is undergoing significant change, especially as it pertains to the Global South. In the 20th century, the legacy Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) served as one of the only sources ...
India Forced to Pay Russia in Yuan, Handing China an Unexpected Win
China stands to gain from a surprising twist in global energy trade: India, long a rival and major oil importer, is now being forced to pay Russia for crude in Chinese yuan (RMB), a move that strengthens the yuan’s global role and indirectly supports China’s currency in ...
China Makes First Move to Challenge Iron Ore Pricing Power. Yet Reality Lags Online Hype
China buys over 70% of the world’s seaborne iron ore—by far the largest share of any country. By simple market logic, the biggest buyer should set the price. Yet for decades, China has had almost no say over pricing, forced instead to accept terms set by foreign ...
IMF Meetings Begin Under Fresh Cloud of U.S.-China Trade Tensions
The IMF and World Bank's semi-annual gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors got underway in Washington on Monday, against the backdrop of new trade threats between the world's two largest economies. Last week, China unveiled new export restrictions on ...
China Warns the Philippines After Drills with U.S. and Japan in EEZ
China’s military on Sunday warned the Philippines to stop “provoking incidents” and bringing in “external forces” in the South China Sea. The warning from China came a day after Manila, the United States, and Japan finished joint maritime drills. The drill ...
China Condemns U.S.–UK Taiwan Strait Transit, Tracks Warships
China’s military on Friday condemned the sailing of U.S. and British warships through the Taiwan Strait, saying it ordered naval and air forces to monitor and warn the two ships. The U.S. destroyer Higgins and the UK frigate HMS ...
China Backs Thailand-Cambodia Reconciliation, Eyes Investment
China fully backs Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their longstanding border dispute, offering assistance at the request of both nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. Speaking at the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Yunnan province,
South Africa Close to Signing Major Fruit Export Deal With China, Says Ag Minister
South Africa is close to finalizing a major agricultural trade agreement that would significantly expand the range of fruit that could enter the Chinese market. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said both sides are close on terms, and he hopes that a ...
Cambodia’s New Chinese-Built Capital Airport Set to Open
Cambodian aviation authorities will conduct a final test flight on Friday at the country's massive new airport ahead of the official opening on September 9th. It took Chinese contractors five years to build the new facility that includes a stunning nine-ton, ...
Tensions Surge in the South China Sea as PLA Confronts U.S., Philippines Presence
Chinese warships and fighter jets were out in force on Wednesday near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in a bid to push out a pair of U.S. warships and a Philippine Coast Guard surveillance plane flying overhead. ...
India and China Eye Border Trade Resumption
India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as U.S. tariffs disrupt the global trade order. Past trade across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes between ...
Chinese Mountaineer Dies on Pakistan’s K2
A Chinese mountaineer died while descending the world's second-highest peak, with Pakistani rescuers waiting on Thursday for weather conditions to improve to recover her body. Guang Jing was descending from the summit of K2 on Tuesday night when she was hit ...
China’s Lending to the Global South Has Been Growing More Commercial
By Yunnan Chen Development finance has been embattled of late. Aid cutbacks have raised alarm over financing for climate and development goals. The most notable example is the egregious dismantling of the US Agency for ...
BYD Readies Thai Exports as Chinese EVs Lead in Southeast Asia
Government electric vehicle EV incentives in Thailand and Indonesia are significantly influencing the region’s auto market, lifting Chinese brands while slumping Japanese incumbents. BYD will start shipping Thai-built plug-in hybrids to Europe in late August, while in Indonesia, EV ...
New Zealand Foreign Minister Says ‘Outsiders’ Meddling in Regional Summit
By Ben Strang New Zealand's foreign minister said Thursday that foreign influence was threatening to split an upcoming annual summit of South Pacific leaders. Foreign Minister Winston Peters sounded the warning as the region's top ...
Eyes Turn to China as the West Steps Back From Development
By Tim Hirschel-Burns With the notable exception of the United States, all other 192 members of the United Nations agreed on an agenda for financing the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). In important respects, the agreement on the
Iran’s Isolation Highlights China’s Calculated Restraint
By Razan Shawamreh The recent Iran-Israel war has underscored a sobering reality for Tehran: When push comes to shove, China is far more likely to adapt to Iran’s decline or collapse than bear the costs of coming to its aid.
Malaysia Clamps Down on Export, Transit of U.S.-Made AI Chips
Malaysia clamped down Monday on the export, transshipment, and transit of all U.S.-made artificial intelligence chips, seeking to stop illegal trade to countries including China. "Effective immediately, all exports, transships, and transits of high-performance AI chips of U.S. origin are subject ...
India’s Top Diplomat Returns to China for the First Time in Five Years
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in China on Sunday, his first visit to the country in five years since violent clashes broke out along their disputed border in the Himalayas. Jaishankar is scheduled to meet with his Chinese counterpart ...
Chinese Surveillance Ship Intercepted by Philippines in Disputed Waters
The Philippine Coast Guard intercepted what appears to be a Chinese intelligence vessel on Saturday that was accompanied by a pair of PLA Navy escort ships that were operating within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone. The presence of the Chinese spy ship
SCO Foreign Ministers Meet as Internal Rifts Deepen
The nine foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will meet this week in the Chinese coastal city of Tianjin. It's a bit hard to believe that this is a group that's almost 25 years old now, since it has few, if any, notable achievements.
Indonesia Elevates Security Concerns in ASEAN–China Talks
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono’s recent remarks at the ASEAN–China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur mark a welcome and necessary development in regional diplomacy. Amid long-standing discussions dominated by trade and economic cooperation, his decision to highlight transnational crime and maritime security brings long-overdue attention to issues ...
Chinese Grad Student in India Sheds Light on How India Talks About China Behind Closed Doors
A Chinese international relations student known online as “Li Zishuo in India” has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers on Weibo and Bilibili by sharing his experiences studying at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), one of India’s most politically engaged and left-leaning campuses. His stories offer a rare ...
Russia’s Lavrov Visits Beijing to Discuss Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Sunday in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart to discuss Ukraine and relations with the United States. Russia's top diplomat arrived in China following a visit to North Korea, where he received assurances of support in ...
Vietnam Joins BRICS as Tenth Partner Country
Vietnam has been admitted as a partner country of the BRICS group, according to the Government of Brazil on Friday, which holds the 2025 rotating BRICS chair. The Brazilian foreign ministry said, "Vietnam becomes the tenth BRICS partner country, alongside ...
Marcos Coalition Weakens in Philippine Midterm Election as China Policy Divides Campaign
The Philippines’ 2025 midterm elections are reshaping the Senate balance and will likely deepen the country’s political divisions, including over foreign policy, amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s ruling coalition secured just six of ...
Chinese Tech in Global South Partnerships: Breaking Barriers for Wheelchair Users
Over 64 million wheelchair users worldwide struggle with inaccessible transport and in Kenya, where only 4% of the population own cars, the infrastructure excludes pedestrians and wheelchair users. To fix this anomaly against people with ...
Xi and Lula Pledge to Guard Global Order
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday, as numerous Latin American leaders gathered in Beijing for a ministerial meeting between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The ...
How Does the Pause in the U.S.-China Trade War Affect the Global South?
Stock markets soared this week following the announcement of a 90-day lowering of tariffs between the United States and China. Amid the momentary euphoria, many are trying to map the trade landscape emerging from the agreement. As Zongyuan Zoe Liu ...
China’s Global Power Plant Investment is Shifting—But Will the Scale Follow?
By Diego Morro In a recent virtual meeting with world leaders on Climate and the Just Transition, Chinese leader Xi Jinping stated that China will not slow its climate efforts or reduce support for international cooperation. This builds on his ...
Cambodia, China Begin Largest-Ever Military Drills
Cambodia and China on Wednesday began their largest-ever joint military exercises, involving advanced Chinese military hardware including artillery, warships and robot battle dogs. Cambodia has long been a staunch ally of China, receiving billions of dollars in investments, and Washington has ...
Colombia Joins Belt and Road Initiative as China Courts Latin America
By Peter Catterall Colombia formally agreed on Wednesday to join China's vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, as Beijing draws Latin America closer in a bid to counter the United States. Latin America has emerged ...
Ignoring China Won’t Help African Countries Move up the Critical Mineral Value Chain
Last week, African mining ministers and global leaders gathered in Paris to discuss the continent’s role in the future of critical minerals and responsible sourcing. At the OECD’s High-Level Dialogue on Africa, one message came through loud and clear: Africa must move beyond simply exporting raw ...
A Karachi Bakery Was Mobbed in India, Sparking Reflection in China
India and Pakistan may have declared a ceasefire, but the anger within India has not subsided. It needed an outlet—and a bakery, named after a Pakistani city, became the perfect target. Now, this story is circulating on Chinese social media—not just to report on tensions in India, ...
China Advises Its Firms in Africa to Avoid Political Entanglements
Chinese businesses traditionally believe “guanxi” (关系)—building close ties with governments—is key to success, a mindset shaped by China’s own political system. But in Africa, this backfires. In a rare move, an official Chinese government publication is advising Chinese companies operating in ...
ASEAN–China Code of Conduct Talks Continue With No Progress Amid Rising Tensions
Despite two decades of commitments, the South China Sea remains a diplomatic riptide. Last week's latest ASEAN–China talks in Manila sought to advance a long-stalled Code of Conduct, but there was no progress. However, progress remains elusive as regional ...
Xi Emphasizes Trade as He Kicks Off Southeast Asian Tour
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Monday, the first visit in his tour of Southeast Asia. He was met by the country’s President Lu’o’ng Cu’ò’ng. Xi will also make stops in Malaysia and Cambodia. Trade will likely be the dominant theme ...
Xi Jinping Warns Against ‘Interference’ in South China Sea Dispute, Urges Vietnam-China Unity
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged China and Vietnam on Monday to "be impervious to all interference" in managing their maritime disputes. Xi promotes their bilateral coordination as a strategic model for regional peace and rejects what Beijing ...
Peripheral Diplomacy Key for Beijing to Offset Trump Turmoil, Says Top Chinese Scholar
Building "islands of stability" in Southeast Asia and other states that border China will now be Beijing's top diplomatic priority to offset the turmoil triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, says a prominent Chinese international relations scholar. As China ...
South China Sea Update: Will the U.S. Really Defend the Philippines Against China?
Donald Trump strongly feels that U.S. security alliances in Europe no longer serve Washington's long-term interest. In his view, the U.S. is being "ripped off" by wealthy countries that can afford to pay for their protection but choose to rely on ...
Singapore Downgrades Growth Forecast Amid U.S.-China Trade War
Singapore on Monday downgraded its economic growth forecast for this year, the government said, as the trade-dependent nation braces for the effects of sweeping U.S. tariffs and the U.S.-China trade war. Although President Donald Trump imposed the baseline 10 percent tariffs ...
Xi Warns Protectionism ‘Leads Nowhere’ as Starts SE Asia Tour
By Alice Philipson with Mary Yang in Beijing Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned Monday that protectionism "leads nowhere" and that a trade war would have "no winners," state media said, as he was due to kick off a tour of Southeast ...
How the Global South Became Central to China’s Narrative Strategy on Russia’s War in Ukraine
By Lukas Fiala Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a little over three years ago marked a critical juncture in the development of European and international security. Far from merely a regional issue, the war has since then affected many beyond the old ...
China, Russia, Iran Hold Nuclear Talks, Demand End to Unilateral U.S. Sanctions on Iran
China hosted nuclear talks with Russia and Iran on Friday, where the three countries condemned the United States for unilaterally imposing sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program without international approval. In a joint statement released via China’s state broadcaster, they demanded ...
Counting the Cost: Chinese EV Tech and Affordable E-Mobility in Sierra Leone and Kenya
When Moses Sandy traveled to China with his prototype, he knew that Sierra Leone needed reliable and clean transport that could easily be powered not by gasoline but by the abundant energy harnessed from the sun.
Beijing Treads Water in the South China Sea
By Gregory Poling and Monica Michiko Sato 2024 brought increased tensions between China and Southeast Asian nations over South China Sea disputes. China continued down the same dangerous but ultimately ineffective path it has walked since 2022, failing to make and ...
CK Hutchison Stocks Dive After Chinese Criticisms of Ports Deal
Stocks in Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison tumbled Friday after Chinese officials overseeing the city reposted a newspaper opinion piece blasting the sale of its lucrative Panama Canal ports following pressure from Donald Trump. The president has complained that China controls ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Trump Could Visit China in April, Sources Say
China’s Ministry of Commerce reportedly met on Tuesday with executives from Walmart, following reports that the U.S. retail giant was trying to force Chinese suppliers to lower prices to absorb U.S. government tariffs and shield American consumers from price increases. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in ...
U.S. or China? Latin America Under Pressure to Pick a Side
Latin America has emerged as a key battleground in U.S. President Donald Trump's confrontation with China, and the region is coming under pressure from Washington to choose a side. The Trump administration's approach to China's growing Latin American footprint -- seen as ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Trump Claims Call With Xi, But Beijing Doesn’t Confirm
Two of China’s state-owned automakers may merge, creating the world’s largest carmaker by sales and eclipsing the current champion BYD. Dongfeng Motor Group and Chongqing Changan Automobile indicated in filings that their ownership structures may change, sparking rumors of a possible merger. Such a move could target overcapacity ...
Trump Offers Top-End Jets, Trade Deal to India in Modi Bromance
By Danny Kemp U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday offered to sell state-of-the-art fighter jets to India as he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to ramp up trade, rekindling a bond that defies the new U.S. administration's punitive approach to ...
Trump Eyes Summit With Xi-Putin, Shaking up World Order
By Danny Kemp Donald Trump unveiled an extraordinary vision of a shake-up to the world order Thursday, eyeing a three-way summit with the Russian and Chinese leaders just a day after saying he had agreed with Vladimir Putin to start Ukraine ...
The U.S. or China: South Africa May Soon Have to Choose
There is mounting evidence that indicates the United States government may force South Africa to make a once-unthinkable choice: it's either the U.S. or China, but it can't be both. The president addressed the issue this week and said, "the South Africa ...
China’s Global Trade Surplus Spikes Amid Boom in Exports
China’s trade surplus with the world last year almost equaled $1 trillion. Trade numbers announced on Monday show that exports rose 10.7%, outpacing predictions. This record high means that Chinese manufacturing is ruling global manufacturing on a scale not seen since the U.S.’ central role at the end of ...
What To Expect From China-India Relations in 2025
Observers of China-India relations had a busy fourth quarter last year. In late October 2024, the two states announced the conclusion of a border patrol agreement, signaling a thaw in border tensions that had persisted for more than four years. A flurry of high‑level meetings ...
Philippines Says Alarmed by Chinese Ships Moving Closer to Shore
The Philippines said Tuesday it was alarmed by Chinese coast guard patrols which are growing closer to the country's shore. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
China’s Population Decline Hits Third Year, Economic and Global Aspirations at Risk
China’s population has fallen for the third consecutive year, with official government data confirming a drop of 1.39 million people in 2024, bringing the total to 1.408 billion. This ongoing decline underscores mounting demographic challenges for the world’s second-largest economy ...
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 ...
ASEAN–China Code of Conduct Talks Continue With No Progress Amid Rising Tensions
Despite two decades of commitments, the South China Sea remains a diplomatic riptide. Last week's latest ASEAN–China talks in Manila sought to advance a long-stalled Code of Conduct, but there was no progress. However, progress remains elusive as regional ...
Xi Emphasizes Trade as He Kicks Off Southeast Asian Tour
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Monday, the first visit in his tour of Southeast Asia. He was met by the country’s President Lu’o’ng Cu’ò’ng. Xi will also make stops in Malaysia and Cambodia. Trade will likely be the dominant theme ...
Xi Jinping Warns Against ‘Interference’ in South China Sea Dispute, Urges Vietnam-China Unity
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged China and Vietnam on Monday to "be impervious to all interference" in managing their maritime disputes. Xi promotes their bilateral coordination as a strategic model for regional peace and rejects what Beijing ...
Peripheral Diplomacy Key for Beijing to Offset Trump Turmoil, Says Top Chinese Scholar
Building "islands of stability" in Southeast Asia and other states that border China will now be Beijing's top diplomatic priority to offset the turmoil triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, says a prominent Chinese international relations scholar. As China ...
South China Sea Update: Will the U.S. Really Defend the Philippines Against China?
Donald Trump strongly feels that U.S. security alliances in Europe no longer serve Washington's long-term interest. In his view, the U.S. is being "ripped off" by wealthy countries that can afford to pay for their protection but choose to rely on ...
Singapore Downgrades Growth Forecast Amid U.S.-China Trade War
Singapore on Monday downgraded its economic growth forecast for this year, the government said, as the trade-dependent nation braces for the effects of sweeping U.S. tariffs and the U.S.-China trade war. Although President Donald Trump imposed the baseline 10 percent tariffs ...
Xi Warns Protectionism ‘Leads Nowhere’ as Starts SE Asia Tour
By Alice Philipson with Mary Yang in Beijing Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned Monday that protectionism "leads nowhere" and that a trade war would have "no winners," state media said, as he was due to kick off a tour of Southeast ...