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Motives That Matter: The Economic and Strategic Logic Behind China’s Power Sector Engagement in Africa

Why is China building power plants across Sub-Saharan Africa? What exactly motivates its involvement in the sector? What does it hope to gain, and what does this mean for countries on the receiving end of its infrastructure support? Is this simply a gesture of South-South solidarity, ...

China Says ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Deadly Cambodia-Thailand Border Clashes

China said Thursday it was "deeply concerned" over deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, which mark a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbors. "We are deeply concerned over the current developments (and) hope both sides can ...

U.S.–Philippines Trade Agreement Terms Still Under Negotiation

Negotiations between the United States and the Philippines over the details of a new trade agreement remain ongoing, Philippine officials confirmed Thursday, even as both sides finalize the structure of a 19 percent tariffs on Philippine exports, slightly down from the previously proposed 20 percent.

China Prominent in AFRICOM Testimony

China came up repeatedly in testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services on Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, who is being considered to lead the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), testified that “China is expanding its approach from ...

Pacific Military Exercises Reveal Global South Countries’ Complex Choices

The Philippines joined other Global South countries like Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga in the U.S.-led Talisman Sabre military exercises currently taking place in Australia. The exercise, dubbed “the Olympics of war games,” has grown rapidly since its inception in ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Revealing Reactions to China’s Festival of Optics

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 ...

U.S. Agrees Trade Deal with Philippines Amid Geopolitical Tension

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social account that the United States will impose 19% tariffs on the Philippines, slightly reduced from the 20% he threatened earlier. The U.S. will have tariff-free access to the Philippine market.

U.S.–Indonesia Trade Deal Unveiled with China in the Crosshairs

The United States and Indonesia on Tuesday unveiled a joint announcement on a reciprocal trade framework that, though never mentioning China by name, echoes its presence at every turn. While the U.S.-Indonesia trade deal slashes tariffs significantly, it introduces strict supply chain provisions, measures widely viewed ...

Vietnam’s Growth Surges. But Is It Still a Bargain for Global Manufacturing?

Chinese companies are pouring into Vietnam, but rising costs and fragile foundations raise questions about how long the boom can last. Vietnam’s GDP grew 7.52% in the first half of 2025, recording its fastest first-half growth in 15 years. A record ...

A PetroChina Insider Reveals About China’s Tumultuous Energy Gamble in Africa

HEADLINE TRANSLATION: "Thirty Years of PetroChina in Africa: Diplomatic Grace or a Long and Arduous Road Ahead?” In a rare and revealing essay published under a pseudonym, a veteran PetroChina executive, known ...