Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
China Pins Hopes on Society-Wide AI Push to Add Jobs, Rejuvenate Economy
By Laurie Chen China's scramble to adopt artificial intelligence will spawn new jobs and propel the world's second-largest economy, say policymakers and company executives, as they play down growing global fears that the technology could stunt employment.
analysis
Tanzanian Startup’s Dual Approach With China’s Geely, Dongfeng to Accelerate EV Adoption
A small Tanzanian start-up is teaming up with Chinese automakers in an attempt to do something that has proved difficult for e-mobility ventures: building a foothold in the electric vehicle business. The company, Jenga Taifa Pamoja Auto Limited, is partnering with, ...
What’s Behind the Submarine Cables Tying Up Chile’s Presidential Transition
A political transition is underway in Chile this week. President-elect José Kast will be sworn in on Wednesday, and Chile’s long-standing commercial relationship with China will be put to the test. Just days before the inauguration, a dispute about a ...
BRICS Faces a Test as China and India Offer Starkly Different Responses to War
In the space of 24 hours, between Sunday and Monday, the foreign ministers from both China and India laid out their respective governments’ positions on the escalating war in the Middle East. In Beijing, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, was unsparing ...
China’s Muted Response Over War in Iran Reflects Beijing’s Delicate Calculus as a Concerned Onlooker
By John Calabrese China has perfected the role of concerned onlooker as the Middle East conflict spreads across the region. With no direct role in the conflict and some 6,800 kilometers away from the action, Beijing ...
Chile's outgoing President Gabriel Boric greets president-elect Jose Antonio Kast during an army-change-of-command ceremony, where the Commander in Chief of the Army, General Javier Iturriaga hands over the command to General Pedro Varela, in Santiago, Chile, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza
A political transition is underway in Chile this week. President-elect José Kast will be sworn in on Wednesday, and Chile’s long-standing commercial relationship with China will be put to the test. Just days before the inauguration, a dispute about a Chinese submarine cable project ...
Tanzanian Startup’s Dual Approach With China’s Geely, Dongfeng to Accelerate EV Adoption
A small Tanzanian start-up is teaming up with Chinese automakers in an attempt to do something that has proved difficult for e-mobility ventures: building a foothold in the electric vehicle business. The company, Jenga Taifa Pamoja Auto Limited, is partnering with, ...
Why Green Energy Will Be the Big Winner of the Iran Crisis
By Cobus van Staden, CGSP Head of Research Remember “no blood for oil”? Decades ago, the slogan emblematized opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Its logic subsequently shifted as the United States experienced a gas and oil revolution thanks ...
The Complexity of China’s Iran Math
The news that Qatar has temporarily halted its output of liquid natural gas has sharpened the focus on how the Iran war will affect Chinese energy security. What has received less attention is how the war will affect Chinese companies’ commercial entanglements in Iran. ...
China Prioritizes Energy and Diplomacy Over Iran Support
By Peter CATTERALL China has expressed its anger over Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran, but, despite hits to its oil imports, will not risk its interests by confronting Washington and helping its long-standing partner, analysts say.
Indonesia Seeks to Diversify Partners for Its New Rare Earth Industry but Moving Away From China Will Be Difficult
Indonesia sits on a geological treasure trove of rare earth minerals, and the government is eager to tap into the wealth they could bring. While it knows how to find, mine, and sell the highly sought-after critical materials, it confronts a ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Industry Shift With Kenya’s First Electric School Bus and Tanzania’s New EV Factory
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. Different forms of electric vehicle (EV) technology innovations are occurring in different African countries. As newer technology arrives, there is ...
China’s Next Five-Year Plan and the Global South
China’s next five-year economic development plan will be unveiled at its largely ceremonial national legislature, the National People’s Congress, on March 5. The plan, which covers 2026 to 2030, will likely outline the CPC’s aim to shift the Chinese economy toward boosting domestic consumption.
Myth and Misperception: Can Vietnam’s Naval Bases Check Chinese Maritime Assertiveness?
In this edition of M&M, I want to analyze the role of Vietnam’s naval bases in checking China’s maritime assertiveness. This is an important factor to consider because Vietnam enjoys some of the world’s best natural deep-water harbors. Two of them, Da Nang and Cam Ranh, directly ...
China’s Relationship with Iran: More Balancing Act than All In
While China has expressed support for Iran as it faces attacks from Israel and the United States, readouts from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s conversation with Iran’s Abbas Araghchi hint at a more complex position. Wang’s emphasis on the securing of Chinese ...
Attack on Iran Could Buoy Trump in Talks With China’s Xi
By Michael Martina, Mei Mei Chu and Trevor Hunnicutt The U.S. military campaign against Iran has put Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the back foot ahead of an expected summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who ...
How Chinese Experts are Reacting to the American-Israeli Strikes on Iran
By Andrea Ghiselli More than a hundred children at a girls’ primary school in Minab, in southern Iran, are reported dead. Missiles and drones are striking targets across Israel as well as the Gulf, from Kuwait to Oman, with the barrage ...
China Steps In as Malaysia’s Data Center Surge Puts the Power Grid to the Test
Since 2024, Malaysia has emerged as a main data center hub in ASEAN, challenging Singapore’s long-standing dominance. As of early 2026, Malaysia has 34 existing data centers with 33 upcoming, according to data from the Malaysia Digital Investment Department. However, ...