Related Posts

Constructive Responses to Net Negative Transfers: What Next for China’s Financial Relationship With Low-Income Countries

By Rebecca Ray In the last few years, China’s net debt transfers (new disbursements minus repayments) to low-income countries have turned negative. This trend means that poor countries are now repaying China more each year for past years’ lending than they ...
Myth and Misperception: Does Shared Communism Tie Vietnam to China?
Vietnam's communist party general secretary To Lam (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) wave during a meeting at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi on April 14, 2025. Photo by NHAC NGUYEN / POOL / AFP
In this edition of Myth and Misperception, I want to take a deep dive into one of the most contentious debates on Vietnam’s foreign policy: what role does ideology play in the country’s foreign policy? As a communist party-state, Vietnam officially adheres to Marxism-Leninism in every aspect of governance. Many ...

Flurry of China-Global South Diplomacy

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama, on Tuesday, 14 October. It was one of several meetings on the sidelines of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women earlier this week, where Xi called for greater gender equity in global governance.

DRC’s Cobalt Quota Raises Uncertainty for Chinese Producers

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s new cobalt export quotas are set to go live on 16 October. The measure replaces a blanket export ban aimed at increasing global cobalt prices. Before the ban in February, global stockpiles had reached 60,000 tons (enough for three months’ worth ...

China’s Export Curbs Spur Rare Earth Scramble

China’s announcement last week that exports of refined rare earth minerals, permanent magnets using these elements, and the equipment used to refine them, has sparked panic among the countries that depend on these exports for high-technology products, including weapons and wind turbines.

As Chinese Imports Flood In, Ethiopia’s Weavers Fight for Survival

By Dylan Gamba Behind the looms of a workshop in the heart of Addis Ababa, dozens of weavers deftly repeat the same motions to craft traditional dresses -- a centuries-old skill now threatened by Ethiopia's economic hardships.

China’s Manufacturing Might Keep Africa Tied to Its Solar Supply Chain

China’s manufacturing dominance remains tightly bound to Africa’s struggle for energy access. The continent holds the raw materials essential for producing renewable energy technologies, yet its factories lack the scale and efficiency to compete with China’s vast industrial base.  As ...

[CGSP Forum] Africa’s Energy Future and China: Gauging the Price of Power

Join us for the first CGSP Forum, a new series of live, conversational discussions bringing fresh perspectives to the world’s most important debates. This inaugural session explores China’s role in shaping Africa’s energy landscape, drawing on insights from CGSP's new

U.S. Advisor on India Accused of Taking Documents, Meeting Chinese

A well-known U.S. scholar on India who advised the U.S. government was charged with retaining classified information and allegedly met Chinese officials, prosecutors said Tuesday. Ashley Tellis, 64, who has worked in or advised the U.S. government for more than two ...

China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Xiaomi SU7 Crash, Indian EV Maker Enters Ethiopia as Southern Africa E-Waste Grows

This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. The African electric vehicle landscape is changing rapidly thanks to the arrival of new companies and ...