Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
Letter to the Editor: Why China Will NOT Seize the Port of Mombasa if Kenya Defaults on SGR Debt
Hi Eric, Just caught this statement [in your September 28 column "China Faces a Critical Test": "And let’s not forget that, should Kenya Railways default on the Nairobi-to-Mombasa SGR loan, there's always the Port of Mombasa that serves as collateral"] ...
Will Africa’s First Free Trade Agreement With China Actually Help Africa?
Famed for its natural beauty, surrounded by nothing but the Indian Ocean, tiny in size yet densely populated, understanding how Mauritius managed to become the most developed, diversified, and competitive economy in Africa is worth exploring. Overall, Mauritius’s economic growth is ...
About That Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine…
Chinese officials from Xi Jinping down have been clear about their intention to make any future COVID-19 vaccine available to Africa and other developing regions. "China will make its COVID-19 vaccine a global public good when it is ready for application after successful research and ...
Pity the Poor American Diplomat in Africa
Life is not getting any easier for the U.S. diplomats posted in Africa. Today's clown show, excuse me, "presidential debate," is certainly not going to make what seems like increasingly awkward and uncomfortable discussions with local stakeholders any easier. Fairly or ...
COVID-19’s Unanticipated Outcomes
The recent announcement that Zambia will default on several of its Eurobond notes, and the indication from ratings agencies that several other African countries are in similar danger are just the latest indicators of how the economic crisis kicked off by the pandemic is impacting African economies. ...
Letter to the Editor: Defending the Interests of Africa’s Private Creditors
Hi Mr. Olander, I work as a sovereign credit analyst at a private buy-side financial firm - I research the Sub-Saharan (and Middle East/North Africa) regions, and as such your content enriches my understanding of the countries in which we invest. ...
China Faces a Critical Test in Kenya
Kenya's difficulties in servicing its debts for the newly-built, Chinese-financed Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is nearing a breaking point. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, the railway failed to meet passenger and cargo volume targets and now the economic downturn brought on by the ...
Letter to the Editor: Contrasting Japanese vs. Chinese Investment in Africa
Dear Eric, As the Representative in Africa for JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), I would like to comment regarding your column on September 24th, "What It Takes To Compete Against the Chinese in Africa," where you mentioned that ...
Fresh or Frozen: Should Kenya and China Renegotiate Their 2019 “Avocado Deal”?
Whether it is ordering a vegetarian wrap or having a healthy fruit and veggie smoothie, the most sought after ingredient I crave for is avocado! Today, be it Beijing or Shanghai, restaurant chains and smoothie bars, are now catering to their customers' healthy tastes, delivering on this ...
What It Takes To Compete Against the Chinese in Africa
Remember all those exciting Africa summits that took place last year? The Russians and Turks each had one, as did the Europeans, and the Japanese. At one point it seemed kind ...
China and the Burgeoning African Debt Crisis
Over the last week we've reached two critical milestones that put the worsening African debt crisis into sharp focus: First, the good news. Angola appears to have reached an agreement with some of its major creditors at the International Monetary Fund ...
Glimpses of Future China-Africa Engagement
For a while, I've been wondering about Chinese peacekeeping in Africa. Specifically, I was wondering where it went as a topic of discussion. A few years ago, every second China-Africa seminar seemed to focus on peacekeeping. Then attention moved to debt, and I assumed that Beijing was ...