Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
From Phones to E-Bikes: China’s Transsion Targets Africa’s Mobility Sector
For almost two decades, the Chinese smartphone giant behind Africa’s most popular mobile brands -Tecno, Infinix, and Itel- has grown to dominate the continent’s handset market. Now, it is making a bold move into Africa’s booming electric mobility sector with its TankVolt e-bikes, which have already become ...
Q&A: Behind Xi’s “Eternal Friendship” Pitch in Central Asia
Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Astana this week for the second China–Central Asia Summit, meeting with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. At the summit, Xi emphasized China’s “eternal friendship” with the region and rolled out a slate of new initiatives, including cooperation ...
China’s Xi in Kazakhstan to Cement ‘Eternal’ Central Asia Ties
Xi Jinping celebrated China's "eternal friendship" with Central Asia at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, as the Chinese leader blasted tariffs and sought to assert Beijing's influence in a region historically dominated by Russia. The summit in Astana brought together ...
Africa-China Trade Fair Delivers $11.39 Billion in Deals
The fourth annual China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) concluded on Sunday with deals signed for 176 new projects, worth a total of $11.39 billion. The number of deals jumped by 45.8%, while the total value increased by 10.6% since the previous fair in 2023. ...
Kazakhstan in China’s EV Playbook: Market Boom Without Manufacturing?
As global trade tensions reshape the automotive industry, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are executing a strategic pivot that reveals the adaptive nature of modern industrial policy. Faced with mounting tariffs and regulatory barriers in Western markets, Beijing's EV champions are turning eastward and southward, seeking new frontiers ...
China’s Xi in Kazakhstan to Cement Central Asia Ties
Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Central Asian leaders at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, his second trip to the region in under a year as Beijing competes with Russia for influence there. The summit in the Kazakh capital brings ...
China Would be Disproportionately Impacted If Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz
The Iranian government is reportedly considering closing the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz that serves as the only maritime gateway for Persian Gulf energy exports to the international market. Should the Iranians block the Strait, China would be disproportionately impacted.
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Morocco Secures $282 Million Chinese Battery Plant Pushing Deeper Into EV Supply Chain
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EV Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. Topline Insight Chinese battery materials giant Tinci Materials ...
Can Africa Move Up the Critical Mineral Value Chain? The Hard Truth Behind a Familiar Chorus
As China opens its doors wider to African exports, extending duty-free market access to all 53 diplomatic partners on the continent, the announcement was met with applause in ministerial corridors from Nairobi to Niamey. For many, the new policy represents another chance for Africa to claim ...
China’s New Mediation Body Courts the Global South on Dispute Resolution
A couple of weeks ago in Hong Kong, China quietly inaugurated the International Organization for Mediation (IoM), marking what may become a significant shift in global dispute resolution. Thirty-two countries from Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe attended the launch, underscoring Beijing’s ambition to build a ...
Critical Minerals Weekly: China’s Rare Earth Reset, Copper Overcapacity, and Zimbabwe’s Big Lithium Gamble
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. After months of strategic restrictions, China has agreed to resume rare earth exports to the U.S. as ...
Is BYD’s Acceleration a Win for Latin America?
By Sally Jabiel A new world order is being contested in the electric vehicles sector. While the trade war between the United States and China rumbles on, the Chinese electric carmaker BYD has already pulled ahead in the race against its ...