Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
China’s Global Initiatives: More Questions, Fewer Answers
By Lukas Fiala With the Xiangshan Forum, Beijing’s premier security summit, having taken place in September, I’ve been wondering about the state of the Global Security Initiative (GSI). It is common knowledge that it’s rather difficult to understand the implementation of ...
analysis
Inside the Bid: How Chinese Power Projects Are Procured in Africa
Behind every power plant is a crucial decision: who gets to build it, and how. Whether a project is delivered on time and on budget often hinges on how it was procured. Was it awarded through a competitive bidding process or negotiated behind closed doors? Were contractors ...
Zambia’s Lawsuit Against Sino-Metal Sparks Chinese Social Media Storm
An environmental disaster caused in February by the collapse of a tailings dam at the Chinese-owned Sino Metals Leach Zambia copper mining site triggered a series of public health concerns. International media, particularly in the West, covered the fallout extensively,
Eye-Rolling Through the Apocalypse
November’s COP30 gathering in Belém, Brazil, marks three decades since COP1 in Berlin in 1995, and raises a sobering reminder of how deep we’ve sunk into a climate morass of our own making amid non-stop warnings. The evacuation of millions of people and the deaths ...
China-Central Asia Weekly News: Multi-Sector Integration and Strategic Depth
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in 2026. China's engagement with Central Asia is shifting toward a more comprehensive economic integration model that combines traditional infrastructure development ...
Iran’s Deputy Defence Minister Majid Ebnoreza speaks during a plenary session of the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on September 19, 2025. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP)
By Lukas Fiala With the Xiangshan Forum, Beijing’s premier security summit, having taken place in September, I’ve been wondering about the state of the Global Security Initiative (GSI). It is common knowledge that it’s rather difficult to understand the implementation of China’s diplomatic and foreign ...
South Africa Solar Boom Signals Rebellion Against “Malfunctioning Energy Systems”
In many African countries, the future of electricity generation lies in renewables, and South Africa, where over 85% of the energy comes from coal-fired power plants, is already undergoing a shift. Last year, South Africa imported Chinese ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Nigeria Exports First Made-in-Africa EV to U.S. as Chinese Automakers Step Up Global Push
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EV Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. BYD is expanding its line-up for overseas markets by giving access to all of its China-developed ...
India Plans Mega-Dam to Counter China Water Fears
By Arunabh Saikia On a football field ringed by misty mountains, the air rang with fiery speeches as tribesmen protested a planned mega-dam -- India's latest move in its contest with China over Himalayan water. ...
Congo Uses Cobalt Export Limits to Force Processing Deals With Chinese Miners
The Democratic Republic of Congo appears determined to leverage its negotiating power with Chinese and other mining companies to secure major concessions on local cobalt processing. That was the signal sent by Congolese Mines Minister Louis Watum, who said — according ...
Critical Minerals Weekly Digest: Strategic Shifts and the New Critical Minerals Landscape
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. Introduction This week’s developments signal a turning point in global ...
Iranian Experts Debate the Future of the Iran-China Relationship After the Twelve-Day War
By Theo Nencini and Veronica Turrini The Israel–Iran conflict of June 13–24, 2025 – christened the “Twelve-Day War” by U.S. President Donald Trump following his precariously brokered truce – represented the culmination of a protracted, multidimensional, and steadily escalating confrontation between Tel Aviv ...
Wealthy Nigerians Turn to Chinese Solar Panels as Grid Falters
Wealthy Nigerians are fueling a surge in Chinese solar panel imports, underscoring the country’s deep energy crisis, where more than one-third of the population continues to live without access to electricity. While acknowledging the electricity access problem, Ebipere K. Clark, ...
Powering Africa: China’s Expanding Role in the Continent’s Energy Future
This report, authored by International Development expert Dr. Frangton Chiyemura, examines the scale and significance of Chinese-backed energy projects across Africa. From solar parks in Mali to massive hydropower dams in Zambia, it explains how these initiatives are distributed, why they matter, and what they mean ...
Turning Trash into Treasure: Chinese Waste-to-Energy Projects in Central Asia
Since the 1990s, energy has been at the heart of China’s engagement with Central Asia. What began with oil and gas pipelines has, in recent years, expanded into solar and wind, reflecting Beijing’s push toward greener development. Now, a new frontier is opening: waste-to-energy (WtE).
Trump’s Attack on Multilateralism Leaves Xi Poised to Fill the Void
By Lukas Fiala U.S. President Donald Trump’s page turner of a speech at the UN General Assembly this week was many things, but certainly no homage to the United Nations. Exhibiting the president’s well-known skepticism of multilateralism and rejection of globalism, ...
Indonesia Prepares for Pivotal Talks on Expanding China-Financed ‘Whoosh’ High-Speed Railway
When the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, known as the Whoosh, opened in October 2023, it quickly drew scrutiny. China provided billions in loans, KCIC—the China-Indonesia joint venture operating the line—reported losses, and parent companies like the state-owned PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) absorbed significant deficits. Critics ...
China Tests Zimbabwe’s Lithium Ambitions With $400 Million Huayou Cobalt Plant
Chinese mining and battery giant Huayou Cobalt is close to completing a $400 million lithium sulphate processing plant in Zimbabwe, the first of its kind on the continent, underscoring its commitment to supporting the country’s efforts to climb the global battery supply chain.