Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
Antony Blinken’s Africa-China Talking Points Sound Awfully Familiar…
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took a break from his tour of Africa for an interview with Radio France Internationale in Abidjan. Biden administration officials have generally steered away from openly criticizing Africa’s engagement with China. However, when the inevitable ...
Chinese Press Dismisses Blinken’s Africa Tour
The reaction in China to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Nigeria, and Angola has been relatively muted. The trip is likely seen as sensitive, which means that commentary is mostly appearing in the foreign policy-facing press.
The Real Challenge Facing Antony Blinken in Africa
It has become customary, as the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tours Africa, to rebuff journalists’ endless questions about China. Senior officials have made it clear that, unlike the Trump era, the Biden administration doesn’t want to put China threat narratives at the heart of their engagement ...
Small Islands in Great Power Politics
By Saniya Kulkarni In the past two weeks alone, two island states have made shifts in their foreign policies to align more closely with China. The states in question are, of course, Nauru and the Maldives – the former used to ...
Philippines Defense Chief Accuses China of Insulting President Marcos and Using “Gutter Level Talk”
The increasingly frayed relationship between China and the Philippines worsened considerably on Wednesday when Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro lashed out at the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Mao Ning for "insulting" President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and stopping to "gutter level talk." This ...
Deadly Fire at Chinese-Owned Nickel Smelter in Indonesia Reveals Stubborn Pattern of Workers’ Safety’s Neglect
Photography by Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro & Muhammad Fadli I first saw the news of the big fire on Instagram. It was Christmas Eve, when social media was full of pictures of families getting together, tucked safely in the warmth ...
Taiwan Under Lai Ching-Te Faces Uphill Battle in Advancing Southeast Asia Ties, Diverting From China
Taiwan elected Vice President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as its next president on January 13th, giving the ruling DPP a historic third win in a row as the self-ruled island continues to engage with neighboring Southeast Asia and beyond to reduce its economic ...
China Warns Philippines Not to “Play With Fire” In Response to Marcos’ Remarks Over Taiwan
China summoned the Philippines ambassador to Beijing to issue a forceful protest against a congratulatory post on X by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to Taiwan's newly-elected leader, Lai Ching-te. Marcos posted on X: "On behalf of the Filipino people, I ...
Sino-Turkish Competition and Cooperation in the EV Sector
By Ahmet Faruk Işık and Leonardo Bruni Türkiye’s foray into the electric vehicle (EV) industry, especially with the establishment of national electric car manufacturer Togg, has given rise to both collaboration and contrast with China. ...
On Tour in Africa and Latin America-Caribbean: Analyzing Wang Yi’s First Foreign Visits of 2024
By Oyintarelado Moses Every year, the Chinese foreign minister launches China’s first foreign policy visit with a trip to Africa, but this year, the tour is slightly different. From January 13-22, Chinese foreign minister Wang ...
Indonesia 2024 Presidential Election Infographic: Candidates Debate South-South Cooperation, South China Sea, and Foreign Debts
In four weeks, Indonesians will head to the polls. Indonesia’s elections body, the General Elections Commission, is hosting a total of five presidential debates during the campaign season for the candidates to discuss a wide range of topics. The three presidential candidates ...
Unpacking Wang Yi’s Africa Tour
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Africa this week. It has become a Chinese tradition that FMs make their first overseas trip to Africa. It triggers a second (less red-carpeted) tradition: people like me puzzling over why certain countries were chosen over others. ...