Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
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.
analysis
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 ...
CPC Dalin refinery in Kaohsiung, as seen from Pingtung, Taiwan March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang
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 undermine confidence in the ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Limits of China’s “Wait and See” Approach in the Iran War
By Lukas Fiala Lots of ink has been spilled about the war in Iran and its implications for China in the Middle East and the Global South at large. One narrative suggests that despite oil market disruptions and political instability across ...
The Panama Model: How Weak Institutions Become Weapons in the U.S.-China Competition
In February 2026, Panama expelled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison from its ports after 29 years, seizing millions of dollars in assets under a presidential decree issued less than a month after the Supreme Court ruled the concession unconstitutional. Nearly one year earlier, Panama’s government began negotiations to ...
China Was Not Absent From the Shield of the Americas Summit
In early March, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted 12 Latin American leaders for the “Shield of the Americas” Summit. There was much speculation around the summit’s objectives: some viewed it simply as an opportunity to gather Latin American leaders aligned with Trump for a photo-op. Others thought ...
From Beijing to Brussels, Energy Crisis Triggers Global Shift Away from Oil Dependence
By Anna Hirtenstein and Kate Abnett The energy shock from the Iran war has policymakers around the globe rethinking ways to reduce long-term dependence on oil and gas imports, with proposals to expand nuclear energy and renewables, grow strategic stockpiles and ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Hormuz Debacle Could Reshape Africa’s Electric Vehicle Revolution
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. As the war in the Middle East triggers one of the worst oil shocks in history, e-mobility business models are ...
China’s Fuel Export Ban to Further Tighten Asia Supply
China's ban on exports of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel is poised to exacerbate fuel shortages and further boost prices for Asian industry and transportation buyers already grappling with tightening supplies caused by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. ...
Trump Asks China to Delay Xi Summit as Iran War Rages
By Danny Kemp and Beiyi Seow U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he had asked China to delay his summit with Xi Jinping by around a month while he deals with the war in the Middle East. ...