Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
Looking Beyond “Useful Africa” at the Mining Indaba
With U.S.-South Africa ties in the deep freeze, it was notable to see the sheer size of the U.S. delegation sent to this week’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the most prominent industry gatherings and one of the few where the Global South ...
analysis
Panama and the New U.S. Strategy to Counter China in Latin America
The Panama Supreme Court’s ruling against Hutchison Ports in late January was not merely an isolated legal event; it was the successful proof-of-concept for a new geopolitical weapon. What appears on the surface to be a dispute over contracts from ...
Can Africa Win as the West and China Scramble for Minerals?
By Clyde Russell Two multi-billion-dollar rail projects in Africa. One headed west, the other east. One backed by Western countries, the other by China. Both are aiming to ship vast quantities of critical minerals. Welcome to the new scramble for Africa. ...
The China Factor Missing From the Headlines at This Year’s African Mining Indaba
The mining industry’s most important annual gathering is underway this week in Cape Town, South Africa, where corporate and government elites are convening for what is typically a routine, largely unremarkable business conference. This year is a little different.
U.S. Moves to Counter China in Bangladesh, Plans to Pitch Defense Alternatives
By Krishna N. Das The United States is concerned about China's expanding presence in South Asia and is planning to offer Bangladesh’s next government U.S. and allied defense systems as alternatives to Chinese hardware, Washington's ambassador to Dhaka told Reuters.
A drone view shows containers docked at Panama Ports Company (PPC) after Panama’s Supreme Court annulled key port contracts held by the Hong Kong‑based CK Hutchison–owned firm, leaving the future of some Panama Canal operations uncertain, in Panama City, Panama, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun
The Panama Supreme Court’s ruling against Hutchison Ports in late January was not merely an isolated legal event; it was the successful proof-of-concept for a new geopolitical weapon. What appears on the surface to be a dispute over contracts from the 1990s is actually ...
Taiwan Leader Warns Countries in Region ‘Next’ in Case of China Attack: AFP Interview
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te warned that countries in the region would be China's next targets should Beijing seize the democratic island, as he insisted that Taiwan must dramatically shore up its defences. Speaking to AFP in his first interview with a ...
China Set to Widen Footprint in Bangladesh as India’s Ties Decline
By Tora Agarwala China’s influence in Bangladesh, boosted by the 2024 ouster of New Delhi‑aligned leader Sheikh Hasina, is likely to deepen after this week's election, although politicians and analysts say India is too large a neighbor to be sidelined completely.
China’s Export Surge to Africa in 2025 Complicates Efforts to Rebalance Trade
In 2025, trade between China and Africa reached $348 billion, a 17.7% increase from 2024. As in the previous year, this growth was largely driven by rising Chinese exports, which amounted to $225 billion, compared to $123 billion in imports from the African continent.
U.S. Challenges Chinese Control in Race for African Minerals
By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila The U.S. is using offtake deals and state-backed funding to compete in the short term with China in securing supplies of African copper, cobalt and other critical minerals, diplomats, executives and analysts said ahead of this week's Indaba.
Bolivia Wants Closer U.S. Ties, Without Alienating China: Minister
By José Arturo Cárdenas Bolivia's new government plans to restore full diplomatic ties with Washington "as soon as possible," after a nearly two-decade rupture, Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo told AFP. Relations between Washington and the ...
Q&A: Can the U.S. Displace China From South America?
In a global scenario marked by strategic competition between the world's two largest powers, Latin America's role has ceased to be peripheral and has become a critical terrain of influence. As Washington watches with growing concern Beijing's advance on vital infrastructure—from ...
Q&A: The “Guanxi”: An Anthropological Look at the Chinese Businessman in Peru
The recent scandal dubbed “ Chifagate ” and the revelations about the so-called “ Dragon Club ” have once again put the relationship between Peruvian political power and Asian investments under scrutiny. However, beyond the anecdote of a dinner at a chifa or ...
China’s Global Power Looks Different When Its Partners Are in Crisis
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces executed a dramatic operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, abruptly removing the central figure of a regime that had been one of Beijing’s most emblematic strategic partners in Latin ...
What to Watch After China’s Strategic Setback at the Panama Canal
On Thursday last week, Panama’s Supreme Court delivered a ruling that was felt in some of the highest offices in both Beijing and Washington. The court declared that the concession granting control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports to Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based ...
China’s Push for Low-Carbon Metals Is Forcing a Reckoning in Indonesia’s Nickel Boom
By Muyi Yang and Dody Setiawan At the G20 Summit in late 2025, China unveiled the International Economic and Trade Cooperation Initiative on Green Mining and Minerals. While broader geopolitical headlines overshadowed this news, it carries crucial implications.
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: More Speed, Less Policymaking Will Power African Countries’ Electric Vehicle Dreams
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. This week, we continue looking at the alternatives African countries have for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. Across the continent, employment ...
China’s Technology Push Finds New Ground in Indonesia’s Health and Connectivity Gaps
One of the important developments in China-Indonesia relations last month is the strengthening of cooperation in the digital health and technology sectors. These are crucial sectors where Indonesia has struggled to translate policy goals into nationwide coverage. Telkomsat, one of Indonesia's ...