Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China’s engagement throughout the Global South.
analysis
Lithium Rush: The Risks and Rewards of a China-Led Commodity Boom for Latin America and the Caribbean’s Transition Materials
By Zara C. Albright At last week’s Belt and Road Forum, China announced the creation of the Green Investment and Finance Partnership (GIFP), part of the $100 billion in new financing for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aimed at ...
China Meets with Iran and Saudi Arabia Amid Israel Crisis
Chinese delegates recently spoke with key allies to discuss the spiraling crisis in the Middle East. Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhberon on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday. It was the first meeting since the fighting in Israel ...
China’s New Defense Minister Comes at a Critical Time
By Lukas Fiala and Felix Brender 王哲謙 Earlier this week, the sacking of Li Shangfu — China’s now erstwhile Minister of National Defense and State Councilor — made the headlines around the world. Li had been MIA for weeks, and was the second ...
Clash in UN Security Council as Two Israel Resolutions Voted Down
China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-led UN Security Council resolution calling for pauses in the Gaza conflict to allow more humanitarian assistance to enter the blockaded region. The main reason for the veto was reportedly that it didn’t include a call for a ceasefire. The U.S. currently ...
Morocco Looks at Its Relations with China: Between the Earthquake and the Diplomatic Celebrations
By Mariateresa Natuzzi and Léa Gebuhrer In this issue of the ChinaMed Observer, we take stock of Sino-Moroccan relations as the two countries prepare to commemorate the 65th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this November 1st. We examine recent trends in Moroccan press ...
The South China Sea Crisis is Fast Approaching a Dangerous Tipping Point
The reactions to Sunday's at-sea collisions between Chinese and Philippines maritime forces reveal a very worrisome trend in what's fast becoming one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints. While the incidents were both minor, more like gentle bumps than violent collisions, ...
U.S. Reaffirms Defense of Philippines in Event of ‘Armed Attack’ by Beijing in Ever-Escalating South China Sea Confrontations
The U.S. reiterated a warning Monday that it would defend the Philippines in the event of an armed attack after Chinese ships collided with two Filipino vessels off a contested area of the South China Sea. Washington's increasingly vocal support for Manila ...
China-Philippines at-Sea Collisions Prompt Mutual Recriminations and Questions Why This Happened Now
The Philippines and China are trading accusations of “provocative” actions after their vessels in the South China Sea collided twice on Sunday — raising already white-hot tensions after multiple aggressive encounters in the region recently. The run-ins occurred near the disputed Second ...
Can’t Be Ambiguous and Mediate: The Limits of China’s Involvement in Israel-Palestine
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 and Lukas Fiala Invigorated by having kicked the Saudi-Iranian deal over the finish line earlier this year, China had initially tried to appear neutral and present itself as a potential mediator in the most recent escalation in violence between Israelis ...
China’s Belt & Road Checks May Get Smaller, But Indonesia Can Still Get Plenty
After complaints surrounding debt and environmental woes, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is finally changing. At the Belt and Road Forum this week, China announced that the BRI will now be “Small but Smart”, aiming to fund smaller-sized projects that are greener. ...
Belt and Road Forum Concludes as Geopolitical Clouds Gather
The Belt and Road Forum has wrapped up with an eye-watering list of new initiatives and events, and commitments. Some of these are strikingly vague and/or abstract and working out exactly what they entail will take a while. What is notable ...
China Furious Over U.S. Veto of UN Action on Israel-Hamas War
China's normally soft-spoken ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, expressed "shock and disappointment" that the United States used its veto power on the Security Council to block a resolution that called for a humanitarian pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. ...