Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
With Herd Immunity in Sight, U.S. Wants to Challenge China’s Vaccine Distribution Drive in the Global South
There's a newfound sense of optimism in Washington that the United States government is finally well-positioned to begin large-scale COVID-19 vaccine distribution to countries throughout the Global South and challenge Russian and Chinese dominance in the space. At a ...
Start Imagining a Post-Carbon China, and Africa
Chinese total carbon emissions could peak by 2028, with emissions coming from the electricity sector topping out as early as 2025. This is according to Liu Zhenya, who runs the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, a Beijing-based think tank. Liu’s previous job is maybe more ...
Some African Governments Can’t Have it Both Ways
African governments and multilateral institutions frequently say that they want no part of any new so-called "Cold War" between the U.S. and China. Leaders in those organizations are very quick to remind everyone that they remember the last time Africa got swept up in a Great Power ...
Anchorage and the New (Old) Cold War
So, the first day of the U.S.-China ministerial meeting underway in Anchorage didn’t go so well. Both sides shredded the rigid protocol that usually guides these occasions to launch extended attacks. The effect was a notably undiplomatic clash between diplomats - one that quickly veered into jabs ...
President John Magufuli’s Unexpected Death Comes at a Critical Time in Sino-Tanzania Relations
Chinese diplomatic missions in Africa responded with condolences early Thursday morning to the news that Tanzanian President John Magufuli passed away from heart complications on Wednesday. President Magufuli had been out of sight ...
Why the Debt Trap Narrative Won’t Die Soon (or Ever)
Recent reports of the debt trap’s death might have been exaggerated. Like a vampire that just won’t die, we keep burying it, but it keeps rising from the coffin. This week we saw reports that Kenyan politicians had to clarify again that the Mombasa port itself ...
Why Would Burundi Endorse China’s Controversial New Election Law in Hong Kong?
The small landlocked East African country of Burundi reportedly felt so strongly about China's controversial new election law for Hong Kong that it published an enthusiastic endorsement of the legislation and praised Beijing's "wisdom to ensure the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong ...
China’s “Global Public Good” Vaccine Pledge Misses the Mark
No one was really sure what to expect from President Xi Jinping's pledge last May to make Chinese COVID-19 vaccines a "global public good." In typical Chinese fashion, there was no explanation of what he meant, instead, Chinese officials for months just kept repeating "
The Reality of Educational Soft Power
Last week was a bloody one in Johannesburg. Wits University, where I used to teach and where I’m currently an affiliate, has seen weeks of student protests. On Wednesday, a standoff turned violent. As the police opened fire with rubber bullets, a bystander stepped out of a ...
Will Chinese-Made COVID-19 Vaccines Find Acceptance in Nigeria?
It is widely accepted that vaccination is one of the most important achievements in public health. Yet, in the face of this ‘consensus’, vaccines are constantly challenged by individuals and groups on religious, and even political grounds. The determinants around vaccine ...
The Transsion Phenomenon in Africa
Too often, the discussion about Chinese tech in the Global South, particularly in places like Africa, focuses primarily on just two companies Huawei and ZTE. It's not surprising given that in recent years both have been the focus of so much attention in Australia, the U.S., and ...
The View of China-Africa Relations from Washington
We’re thrilled to feature our conversation with Tibor Nagy, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa for the Trump administration on the latest episode of the China in Africa Podcast. It was a real honor to speak with someone who had been so instrumental ...