Month: May 2025
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India Plans Mega-Dam to Counter China Water Fears
By Arunabh Saikia On a football field ringed by misty mountains, the air rang with fiery speeches as tribesmen protested a planned mega-dam -- India's latest move in its contest with China over Himalayan water. ...
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China’s Play for Global Governance Leadership
In the weeks since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the new Global Governance Initiative (GGI) during a speech at the SCO summit in Tianjin, Beijing's propaganda apparatus has been working overtime to build support for the new plan, particularly in Africa, ...
Congo Uses Cobalt Export Limits to Force Processing Deals With Chinese Miners
The Democratic Republic of Congo appears determined to leverage its negotiating power with Chinese and other mining companies to secure major concessions on local cobalt processing. That was the signal sent by Congolese Mines Minister Louis Watum, who said — according ...
Critical Minerals Weekly Digest: Strategic Shifts and the New Critical Minerals Landscape
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. Introduction This week’s developments signal a turning point in global ...
Iranian Experts Debate the Future of the Iran-China Relationship After the Twelve-Day War
By Theo Nencini and Veronica Turrini The Israel–Iran conflict of June 13–24, 2025 – christened the “Twelve-Day War” by U.S. President Donald Trump following his precariously brokered truce – represented the culmination of a protracted, multidimensional, and steadily escalating confrontation between Tel Aviv ...
Laborers working at the under-construction site of the Dibang Multi-purpose Hydroelectric Project on the Dibang river, in the Lower Dibang Valley district of the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
By Arunabh Saikia On a football field ringed by misty mountains, the air rang with fiery speeches as tribesmen protested a planned mega-dam -- India's latest move in its contest with China over Himalayan water. India says the proposed ...
Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
Many Chinese military fans were surprised when Indonesia announced on May 28th that it had signed a defense agreement with France, including plans to purchase Rafale fighter jets, despite the Chinese J-10C’s impressive performance in the much-discussed 2019 India-Pakistan aerial skirmish. In that engagement, Pakistan’s J-10C reportedly ...
How Apartheid Shaped U.S. Policy on South Africa: China Study
A provocative analysis from a Chinese think tank examines the collapse of U.S.-South Africa relations, uncovering an unexpected driver: the influence of three tech titans—Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and David Sacks—all of whom spent their formative years in apartheid-era South Africa.
BYD’s Brazil Scandal Sparks Rare Self-Reflection in China
When news broke that Chinese automaker BYD was being sued in Brazil for labor violations involving over 220 Chinese workers, the reaction on Chinese social media was swift and defensive. Conspiracy theories surged—some claimed Brazilian workers were jealous, others blamed foreign interference, and a few pointed ...
Pentagon Chief Warns China ‘Preparing’ to Use Military Force in Asia
By Ty McCormick U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Saturday that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, vowing the United States was "here to stay" in the Indo-Pacific region.
China-Africa Critical Minerals Update: Clean Up in Zambia, Disputes in the DR Congo
In Zambia, efforts to clean up a massive acid spill from a Chinese-owned mine have been met with skepticism, despite government assurances. Officials claim restitution is underway and rehabilitation plans are in place, but activists question the fairness of compensation and ...
Macron Urges Asia, Europe to Unite to Resist ‘Spheres of Coercion’
By Damon Wake and Francesco Fontemaggi French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged Europe and Asia to build a new alliance to hold off big powers seeking to build "spheres of coercion", in a swipe at China and Russia.
China Establishes Global Mediation Body in Hong Kong
China signed a convention on Friday establishing a global mediation body in Hong Kong, which aims to be comparable to organizations such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Beijing has taken a more proactive approach in international affairs in recent ...
Africa May Have to Give Up on the United States
It was during the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa — just as the lights dimmed, Trump cued up a video presentation, and the whole encounter veered into political theater — when the question hit me: what is this all ...
Guerrilla-Turned-Filmmaker: Colombia’s Versatile Envoy in Beijing
Colombia's ambassador to China first arrived in Beijing six decades ago and trained under Mao Zedong's revolutionary forces, before returning home to join a communist guerrilla group. Sergio Cabrera then made a name for himself as an acclaimed filmmaker, and now ...
China’s National Security Whitepaper: Old Wine in New and Important Bottles
By Lukas Fiala As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, China’s recently published national security whitepaper rightly deserves our attention at a crucial moment in global politics. Instructive both in terms of timing and implications, the paper cements Beijing’s ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Wang Yi Meets Over 50 African Envoys on Africa Day
Brazilian prosecutors announced they are suing the Chinese carmaker BYD and two of its contractors for slave-like labor conditions. Prosecutors in Bahia state are seeking about $50 million in damages from BYD, China JinJiang Construction Brazil, and Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes. The suit follows a complaint last year that ...
Brazil Sues China’s BYD Over ‘Slavery’ Conditions on Build Site
Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric car giant BYD and two contracting companies for human trafficking and alleged slave labor conditions at a build site, according to legal documents seen by AFP Thursday. The case concerns 220 Chinese workers found last ...