Analysis
Diverse voices, unique insights on key issues shaping China-Africa relations.
Without the Chinese, Uganda is Going to Find Out if Anyone Else Wants to Loan Them Money to Refurbish a Railway
After failing to secure a $2.2 billion loan from the Chinese to build a new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to replace the country's decrepit century-old colonial-era railway, Uganda is now looking to secure funding for a much more modest refurbishment of its 1,266km system. ...
Senior U.S. Official Warns African Governments About Relying on “Fast and Loose Money”
The top energy diplomat for the United States, Francis Fannon, issued a clear warning to African governments to avoid taking oil and gas investments from "opaque forces" that could lead to erosion of their countries' sovereignty through debt-dependency. He didn't ...
As the US and France Try to Compete with China in Building African Infrastructure, Their Public-Private Financing Model is in Jeopardy
Both France and the United States have been vocal critics of China's state-led infrastructure development model in Africa and the accompanying loans for projects extended by Beijing's policy banks. Fearful that China is using loans to extend political influence along with the fact ...
Will China or the U.S. Build the New Mombasa-Nairobi Expressway? Confusion Swirls Amid Conflicting Headlines
The United States ambassador to Kenya, Kyle McCarter, blasted a report in the Friday edition of the Kenya Star newspaper that claimed the "U.S. government had ditched" the planned Mombasa to Nairobi expressway project and that the Kenyan government was now looking to Chinese ...
Q&A: Does China Benefit From the U.S. Stripping Cameroon of Its AGOA Privileges? Yes. No. Maybe.
At first glance, it would seem that the Trump administration's decision to revoke Cameroon's free-trade privileges would be counterproductive at this time when the U.S. is battling hard against the Chinese for influence in Africa. After all, Washington sanctioning Youndé on human rights plays right into the ...
Most African States Quietly Take China’s Side in Xinjiang Battle at the United Nations
A duel erupted at the United Nations on Tuesday between rival factions who oppose and support China's treatment of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. On one side, the US, UK and most other Western countries renewed their criticism of China for committing well-documented human ...
Few Africans Consume China’s Official Media, But Everyone Loves the Content They Get on Chinese Tech Platforms
China has invested millions in building a sizable media presence in Africa with hundreds of staff at CGTN's production hub in Nairobi, stakes in South Africa's Independent Media Group and dozens of Xinhua news agency bureaus across the continent. China thought that if it could build a ...
Why the U.S. Should Be Worried About South Africa’s Increasingly Close Ties With China
On its own, South African Deputy President David Mabuza's week-long trip to Beijing, which starts today, will probably not generate a lot of headlines. But his arrival in the Chinese capital caps a month of small but important milestones that all point to deepening of Sino-South African ...
Pentagon Emerges as Leading U.S. Government Voice on China-Africa Relations
The Pentagon, specifically its Africa Command, or AFRICOM, has become the U.S. government agency that most consistently speaks out on China-Africa issues. As a whole, the Trump administration doesn't seem very interested in Africa. Former National Security Advisor John Bolton's Prosper ...
Zimbabwe Elephant Sale to China Sparks Outrage, Prompting New Set-Back for Chinese Public Diplomacy in Africa
Up to 30 young elephants were flown overseas this weekend from Zimbabwe, reportedly to zoos in China, prompting widespread anger in Africa, Europe, and the United States. News headlines, conservation groups, and social media users all expressed varying of ...