Day: October 10, 2025

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Indonesia Weighs Dual Strategies With China to Keep Whoosh High-Speed Rail on Track

Indonesia and China are negotiating with China’s economic planner, the NDRC, to address a funding shortfall for the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail project, known as "Whoosh." The gap emerged after costs rose by about $1.2 billion, while ticket sales fell short of loan payments.

North Korea’s Kim Hails ‘Cooperative’ Ties With China at State Celebration

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, praising the two countries' "friendly and cooperative relations", as Kim oversaw celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported. Li's visit ...

Taiwan Leader Vows Stronger Air Defenses to Counter ‘Enemy Threats’

By Amber Wang Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te vowed Friday to speed up construction of a multi-layered air defense system as part of efforts to counter "enemy threats." Lai's government has been under U.S. pressure to ...

Kenya’s China Debt Deal Challenges Old Narratives

Kenya and China have reached a groundbreaking agreement to restructure $3.5 billion in railway loans, converting them from U.S. dollars into Chinese yuan. The move could save Kenya $215 million in debt servicing costs and marks the first time an African ...

U.S. Expands Iran Sanctions, Targeting Chinese Firms Tied to Oil Shipments

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on dozens of people, companies and ships tied to Iran's oil sector, stepping up its campaign against a key revenue source for Tehran. The Treasury announced more than 50 targets aimed at people who ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

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 means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

Weighing the Value of “Values”

I was in Berlin this week for a conference on the EU’s relationship with Africa in the context of the continent’s growing ties with external actors, many of whom Europe finds acutely worrying. The conference eerily landed on the second anniversary ...

Digital Silk Road 2.0: How China Is Shaping Central Asia’s AI Ecosystem

The race for artificial intelligence supremacy is now global. As the United States and China compete to define the future of AI, their rivalry increasingly shapes how they engage with the rest of the world. Washington leans on alliances and export ...