Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
Small State, Big Gains: Why Dominica Matters in China’s Global Strategy
In contemporary international relations, the diplomacy of small states is of utmost importance. Though grand geopolitical narratives often overshadow this fact, one major power has not forgotten: China. Putting aside its broader strategic objectives, Beijing has excelled in small-state diplomacy. The numbers don’t lie; China has the ...
analysis
Disorder as Strategy at the Gate of Tears
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 In the latest vignette of maritime theater off Yemen’s coast, a Chinese frigate decided to dazzle a German surveillance plane with a military-grade laser, forcing it to turn tail and return to Djibouti. Berlin is ...
Q&A: What Lessons Can Zimbabwe Learn From Indonesia in Its Quest to Move up the Lithium Value Chain?
Indonesia is often cited as a model for countries seeking to extract more value from their mineral wealth. This is because Jakarta was a pioneer in using export bans to compel investors to invest in the value-added processing of the resource before export. In 2020, Indonesia banned ...
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.
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
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 In the latest vignette of maritime theater off Yemen’s coast, a Chinese frigate decided to dazzle a German surveillance plane with a military-grade laser, forcing it to turn tail and return to Djibouti. Berlin is rightly incensed. Beijing’s antics ...
Diminishing U.S. Influence? Chinese Official Positions and Expert Debate on the Israel-Iran Conflict
By Miriam Verzellino and Andrea Ghiselli On June 13, Israel launched a series of air and missile strikes against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, military installations, air defense systems, as well as prominent military leaders, politicians and nuclear scientists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ...
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 ...
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 ...