Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
China’s Solar Exports Fuel Rooftop Energy Revolution in Pakistan
By Zain Zaman Janjua Pakistanis are increasingly ditching the national grid in favor of solar power, prompting a boom in rooftop panels and spooking a government weighed down by billions of dollars of power sector debt.
analysis
Eyes Turn to China as the West Steps Back From Development
By Tim Hirschel-Burns With the notable exception of the United States, all other 192 members of the United Nations agreed on an agenda for financing the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). In important respects, the agreement on the
Iran’s Isolation Highlights China’s Calculated Restraint
By Razan Shawamreh The recent Iran-Israel war has underscored a sobering reality for Tehran: When push comes to shove, China is far more likely to adapt to Iran’s decline or collapse than bear the costs of coming to its aid.
SCO Foreign Ministers Meet as Internal Rifts Deepen
The nine foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will meet this week in the Chinese coastal city of Tianjin. It's a bit hard to believe that this is a group that's almost 25 years old now, since it has few, if any, notable achievements.
Indonesia Elevates Security Concerns in ASEAN–China Talks
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono’s recent remarks at the ASEAN–China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur mark a welcome and necessary development in regional diplomacy. Amid long-standing discussions dominated by trade and economic cooperation, his decision to highlight transnational crime and maritime security brings long-overdue attention to issues ...
Technicians install solar panels on the rooftop of a factory in Pakistan's port city of Karachi. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP)
By Zain Zaman Janjua Pakistanis are increasingly ditching the national grid in favor of solar power, prompting a boom in rooftop panels and spooking a government weighed down by billions of dollars of power sector debt. The quiet energy ...
Q&A: Indonesia’s Ex-Chief Negotiator Warns ASEAN of Trump’s U.S. “Tariff Trap”
The U.S. tariffs regime is exposing fractures in Southeast Asia’s trade posture. When Indonesia’s former chief trade negotiator, Iman Pambagyo, looks at the region’s response to the latest wave of U.S. tariffs, his message is clear: Southeast Asia cannot afford to keep falling for Trump’s tariff trap. ...
U.S. Targets Attempts to Dodge Trump Tariffs With China in Crosshairs
By Beiyi Seow As President Donald Trump ramps up tariff threats on U.S. trading partners, his administration is taking aim at a tactic said to be used by Chinese companies to dodge the levies by moving goods through third countries.
Power, Policy, and Partnership: Mapping China-Azerbaijan Energy Ties
As Azerbaijan accelerates its transition toward renewable energy, Beijing’s clean energy ambitions are finding fertile ground. The country aims to nearly double its installed power generation capacity by 2030—targeting 6.5 GW of combined solar, wind, and hydropower—with renewables expected to make up at least 30 percent of ...
A Display of Power, Not Partnership, in Washington
This is a is a long overdue column that I intended to write back in March after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa left Washington after that now infamous joint press conference in the Oval Office where he was ambushed by U.S. President Donald Trump for challenging the ...
When Ideology Meets Inflation, Argentina’s Milei Turns to China
The cry “Cambio! Cambio! Cambio!” rings out along Calle Florida, the bustling commercial artery of Buenos Aires. Dozens of unofficial money changers—many of them migrants from Chile, Venezuela, and Bolivia—line the street, calling out to passersby. They offer mercado azul, or the “blue market” exchange rates, trading ...
Huawei Out, Washington In: Panama’s 5G Reset
When the U.S. Embassy in Panama announced in June that telecommunications equipment from Huawei—a Chinese tech giant—would be replaced with “secure American technology” at 13 sites across the country, it was more than a routine tech upgrade. It was a clear signal.
BRICS Announces Numerous New Initiatives
The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education. The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and ...
Inside China’s Power Play: Understanding the Institutions Behind Africa’s Energy Projects
China’s role in African power generation is substantial. Chinese-backed projects account for approximately 23 GW of installed generation capacity across at least 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – nearly 20 percent of the region’s total. This footprint reflects more than just a financial commitment; it signals ...
Indonesia’s Over-Reliance on China is a Warning for Other Global South Countries
Indonesia thought it was building a future. Instead, it built someone else’s supply chain. Last month, China imposed a 20% anti-dumping tariff on stainless steel from Indonesia, accusing Jakarta of undercutting prices and threatening Chinese producers. The penalty will remain ...
After the Revolution, Bangladesh Warms to China as India Fumes
By Sheikh Sabiha Alam with Arunabh Saikia in New Delhi Protests in Bangladesh that toppled the government last year triggered a diplomatic pivot, with Dhaka warming towards China after neighboring India was angered by the ousting of its old ally Sheikh ...
Why Was Xi a No Show at BRICS?
There's been a lot of speculation as to why Chinese President Xi Jinping opted to stay home from a BRICS summit for the first time and instead sent Chinese Premier Li Qiang in his place. Some suggested that it was because
How the U.S. and China Misread Southeast Asia in the Tariff War
Southeast Asia is not the world's workshop or a passive trade partner. As the U.S.-China tariff war escalates, the region is asserting a new kind of agency, trade independence rooted in national interest. Economies like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia, at the end of the day, choose ...