Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
Through Allegory, China Uses AI to Shape Its Narrative of the Iran Conflict
China’s official position on the U.S-Israeli war against Iran has been clear to international audiences from the statements of its highest officials. But what about domestic audiences? Last week, CCTV released an AI-animated video that presents a window into how the ...
analysis
From Belt and Road to Belt Tightening: China’s Neighbours Get Cold Shoulder on Energy
By Joe Cash As energy stress spreads across Southeast Asia, governments across the region are asking China to deliver on its pledges of closer energy security cooperation by freeing up now-banned exports of fertilizer and fuel.
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Cheaper Batteries Hastening Africa’s EV Breakthrough but Oil Shock Could Raise Hurdles
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. Electric vehicles (EVs) could soon become cheaper than petrol cars across much of Africa as battery costs fall and global ...
Energy Crisis Gives China Leverage as Tensions Rise With Philippines in South China Sea
The energy crisis in Southeast Asia brought on by the war in Iran is giving China a new opening to pressure the Philippines over longstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Over the past week, Chinese naval, coast guard, and ...
Vietnam and China Lay the Tracks for Deeper Trade Connectivity
By Duan Haosheng On 19 December 2025, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son pressed the ceremonial start button to launch the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong railway. The 390-kilometre railway, backed by
A Chinese fighter pilot flew over the disputed Scarborough Shoal as part of a large-scale "combat readiness patrol" conducted by the PLA Southern Command on March 28, 2026. Image via the PLA Southern Command.
The energy crisis in Southeast Asia brought on by the war in Iran is giving China a new opening to pressure the Philippines over longstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Over the past week, Chinese naval, coast guard, and maritime militia activity surged ...
From Belt and Road to Belt Tightening: China’s Neighbours Get Cold Shoulder on Energy
By Joe Cash As energy stress spreads across Southeast Asia, governments across the region are asking China to deliver on its pledges of closer energy security cooperation by freeing up now-banned exports of fertilizer and fuel.
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Cheaper Batteries Hastening Africa’s EV Breakthrough but Oil Shock Could Raise Hurdles
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. Electric vehicles (EVs) could soon become cheaper than petrol cars across much of Africa as battery costs fall and global ...
Seeking More Value at Home, Zimbabwe Disrupts China’s Lithium Flow
By Enos Denhere A month after banning raw lithium exports, Zimbabwe is tightening its regulations and ramping up its crackdown on mineral smuggling in a major shake-up that is winning local praise even as it stirs concerns.
Mideast War Fuels Disinformation About Taiwan’s Gas Supply
By Joy Chiang Taiwan has been targeted by a wave of online disinformation claiming the self-ruled island's gas supplies will soon be completely depleted due to disruptions from the Middle East war -- a narrative officials say could cause panic and ...
Regime Survival and International Implications: China’s Perspective on the Iran Crisis
By Andrea Ghiselli This edition of the ChinaMed Observer returns to the Chinese official narrative and expert debate on the ongoing war in Iran. In a previous issue, we examined initial Chinese reactions: restrained, framed in international law, and calling for dialogue and ...
How China Became Part of Peru’s Political Crisis
In mid-February, Peruvian president José Jerí was removed from his position of head of state after only four months in office. The ousting wasn’t particularly shocking. Peru has experienced a prolonged governance crisis, with seven presidents cycling through office over the last ten years, the shortest tenure ...
After Gulf Conflict, China Is Likely to Deepen Its Regional Engagement
A reporter asked me today to look beyond the current turmoil in the Persian Gulf to forecast how China might respond when the fighting eventually stops. The crux of his question is whether Beijing will remain as engaged in the Persian Gulf as it has been for ...
Every Missile Fired Over Iran Burns Through U.S. Tungsten Stocks
By Andy Home The U.S. and Israel have used thousands of munitions in their air campaign against Iran. Most, if not all of them, contain tungsten - a super-hard metal that allows missiles to penetrate armour or ...
Beneath Indonesia’s Big EV Dreams Loom Local Costs
By Joan Aurelia In July 2024, then-president Joko Widodo said Indonesia must “become a global player in the EV supply chain.” He was speaking at the inauguration of a Hyundai EV and battery factory in Karawang, West Java, where government officials declared ...
How a U.S. Sanctions Waiver Will Squeeze China’s Access to Cut-Rate Iranian Oil
China, the world's top crude importer, has been the main buyer of oil from OPEC producer Iran in recent years, but will face competition and higher prices after the U.S. issued a 30-day sanctions waiver on Iranian oil. Beijing, ...
Trump’s Mideast Muddle Could Play Into Xi’s Hands at Planned Summit
By Peter CATTERALL China will be in a stronger position to extract concessions from Donald Trump when the U.S. president finally visits Beijing after becoming entangled in his Middle East war, analysts say. Trump ...
Iran Conflict Could Flip China’s Deflation Into ‘Bad Inflation’
By Kevin Yao and Liangping Gao China's long fight with deflation risks morphing into something harsher, with economists warning the war in Iran could spark "bad inflation" at a time when chronically weak consumption and fading external demand ...