Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
SE Asian Leaders Meet China’s Li and Gulf States to Bolster Ties
By Rebecca Bailey and Isabelle Leong Southeast Asian leaders are looking to insulate their trade-dependent economies from geopolitical uncertainty, in particular US tariffs, as they hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Gulf state dignitaries in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
China in Focus as ASEAN Pushes Back on U.S. Tariffs at Kuala Lumpur Summit
By Jan Hennop and Isabelle Leong Southeast Asian leaders met Monday in Kuala Lumpur for their first summit since U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs upended global economic norms, with the trade-dependent nations expected to issue a joint message of deep concern. ...
U.S. Tariff Tensions Test Southeast Asian Leaders at Regional Summit
By Jan Hennop in Kuala Lumpur and Martin Abbugao in Singapore Southeast Asian leaders will express deep concern over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff blitz when they meet at a summit Monday, warning that the unilateral move poses huge challenges to ...
Silk Road Redux: China’s Strategic Leap into the South Caucasus
Less than a year after signing a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in 2024, China and Azerbaijan elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Azerbaijani president’s recent state visit to Beijing. The move goes far beyond simple ceremonial diplomacy—it's a deliberate reinforcement of China's ...
The Inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit: Economic Aspirations Amid Strategic Ambiguity
BY Sufian Jusoh and Joanne Lin The ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, set to take place in Kuala Lumpur on 27 May, under the Malaysian Chairmanship of ASEAN, marks a significant diplomatic first. It will bring together leaders from ASEAN, ...
Türkiye’s Political Turmoil: Shifting Chinese Narratives Between 2023 and 2025
By Miriam Verzellino and Andrea Ghiselli On March 18, 2025, Istanbul University announced the annulment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s degree, citing “clear errors.” This decision disqualifies İmamoğlu, a leading figure in the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), from contesting the 2028 Turkish ...
Leasing, Swapping, Surviving: Kenya’s Startups Hack the EV Tax Trap
E-mobility startups in Kenya are rethinking how to do business in a country where prohibitive taxes are slowing the adoption of electric vehicles. To stay afloat—and expand—companies like Rideence and Ebikes Africa are leveraging Chinese electric vehicle (EV) technology while building creative business models around ...
Chinese Weapons Get Rare Battle Test in India-Pakistan Fighting
By Rebecca BAILEY with AFP reporters in Islamabad and Washington Just over a week after a ceasefire with India was struck, Pakistan's foreign minister is visiting his country's largest arms supplier, China, with the performance of the weapons they supplied a ...
Critical Mineral Resource Nationalism: What It Means for China and the Global South
Driven by the accelerating global energy transition, resource-rich countries are actively asserting greater control over their critical minerals—lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earths—through a policy shift known as resource nationalism. While the framing of resource nationalism came from global north countries that dislike policies by ...
Unmapped Opportunity: What Role for China in Syria’s Reconstruction?
By Sama Aziz and Raphael Angieri Five months since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad and subsequent consolidation of power by insurgent leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and his militant faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria’s international repositioning is well underway. Global powers ...
China-India Ties Show Signs of Renewed Strain Following Kashmir Conflict
More than a year of progress in repairing frayed diplomatic ties between India and China appears to be in jeopardy following the brief conflict that erupted in recent weeks between India and Pakistan. The fighting between the two South Asian rivals flared ...
China-CELAC Summit Invests in Multilateralism Amid Global Trade Tensions
By Fermín Koop, Jack Lo Lau, Juan Ortiz Latin American leaders gathered in Beijing on Tuesday for the fourth ministerial summit between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and China. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi ...