The U.S. Has Got to Find a Better Way to Talk About China

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on December 12, 2022. Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP

Apparently, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan seems to think the best way to counter China’s surging influence in the Middle East is to propose building a massive railway that will connect the Indian sub-continent to the Middle East via Persian Gulf states.

Railways? Really. Railways?

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5
Indonesia Begins $5.9 Billion Chinese EV Battery Project Despite Environment Fears
6 Trump’s Contradictory Iran Strategy Leaves U.S. Weaker After War’s End, Says Chinese Commentator

You Might Like

A Glimmer of Hope in the Middle of a Dark Tunnel

By Lukas Fiala As someone working on international affairs in today’s world, it’s rare to end the week on an optimistic note. Yet, sometimes even the darkest of times offer a glimpse of hope. Chinese ...

History’s Solution to the China-U.S. Debt Standoff

By Kevin P. Gallagher History is repeating itself, but Western leaders are experiencing a selective memory loss that is preventing learning the lessons of that history.  If developing countries are to mobilize the necessary resources ...

Friendship over Friendshoring? Practical Opportunities for U.S.-China Coordination on Global Energy Transition

By Cecilia Springer U.S.-China competition could be bad news for the climate.  The geoeconomic fragmentation that is driven by U.S.-China decoupling will raise costs and potentially slow the global energy transition. At the same time, countries ...

Why China’s Global South Diplomacy Is Such a Challenge for the United States

Remember when poor countries didn’t matter? Those halcyon days when an American president could call them shitholes and nobody would mind? Those days have just ended.  In case you missed it, the Wall ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP