Day: June 5, 2025
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The Perception Problem: Why Central Asians Remain Skeptical of Chinese Investment
Over the past decade, China has poured billions into the Central Asian countries, financing infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, and digital technologies, while presenting itself as a reliable development partner. Central Asian governments, eager for investment and diversification, have embraced China as a strategic ally in trade and ...
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The G20 Summit and the Half-Life of a Joke
When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most ...
China-Central Asia Weekly News: New Seaport Development, BYD Battery Localization in Uzbekistan, and Healthcare Cooperation
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in 2026. Chinese engagement with Central Asia is advancing through a combination of transport infrastructure development, automotive industry expansion, and medical ...
In Congo’s Cobalt Belt, a Chinese Miner’s Waste Leaves Villages Poisoned and Furious
By Camille Lafont Carrying her sore-pocked daughter across her decaying field, Helene Mvubu says she is one of thousands to have fallen victim to the toxic waste defiling the Democratic Republic of Congo's mining capital. ...
Members of the media follow remarks by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on a screen in the media centre during the G20 Leaders’ Summit plenary session at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on November 22, 2025. (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP)
When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. ...
Australia Says China Anxiety, Geography Driving Closer Indonesia Ties
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Thursday that security anxiety over China was partly driving deepening ties with Indonesia in a region riven by rivalry between Beijing and Washington. His visit to meet counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in Jakarta came weeks after ...
Namibia Shows Off Newly-Acquired Chinese Drone
Namibia may have quietly revealed a significant addition to its defense arsenal during a military parade this week: what appears to be a Chinese-made Aisheng ASN-209 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The drone was seen this week during the Namibian Defense Force’s ...
China Tops Favorability Rankings in Africa, Outpacing U.S. and EU, New Survey Shows
China is viewed more positively than any other global or regional power in Africa, according to a new survey conducted across 29 countries by Afrobarometer, the continent’s leading public opinion measurement agency. The findings, released this week, show that 60 percent ...
“Vietnam’s Just a Pathway of China” to the U.S., Says Commerce Secretary
The pressure on Vietnam in the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China went up significantly on Wednesday when Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made it very clear that eliminating all trade tariffs on U.S. goods will not be enough to satisfy the Trump administration. ...
Troubled Chinese EV Maker Casts Shadow Over Africa’s Affordable Electric Car Market
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers are increasingly shipping their products to African countries, where first-time car owners are turning to more affordable models from lesser-known Chinese manufacturers, such as Neta and Xiaohu. While the small manufacturers have struck a ...
Europe’s Green Mining Regulations May Push Africa Closer to China
While Europe’s environmental policy to limit carbon emissions is well-meaning and aims to fight climate change, it could actually make things worse for Africa. Instead of helping the continent to develop its industries, EU policy might instead give China more control over access to valuable mineral resources, ...
Vietnam, U.S. to Speed up Trade Talks: Hanoi
Vietnam and the United States have agreed to speed up trade talks, Hanoi said Thursday, as it announced $600 million in deals to buy U.S. agricultural products. Vietnam has the third-biggest trade surplus with the United States, after China and Mexico, ...
China Lead Mine Plan Weighs Heavily on Myanmar Tribe
Hundreds of protesting Myanmar tribespeople march up a hillside to a cavernous facility where a Chinese joint venture's giant milling machines stand ready to grind up the rocks of their ancestral homeland for lead ore. Demand for the heavy metal is ...
China Outraged Over U.S. Veto of Gaza Ceasefire Resolution at UN Security Council
By Gregory Walton UN Security Council members criticized the United States Wednesday after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington said undermined ongoing diplomacy. It was ...