Author: Cobus van Staden
Dr. Cobus van Staden is an accomplished scholar, journalist, and think tank analyst with more than 20 years of experience in Africa and Asia. Previously, he was the senior China-Africa researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in Johannesburg. Cobus completed his Ph.D. in Japanese studies and media studies at the University of Nagoya in Japan in 2008. He focused on comparisons of Chinese and Japanese public diplomacy in Africa during postdoctoral positions at the University of Stellenbosch and the SARCHI Chair on African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy at the University of Johannesburg before joining the Department of Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2013. His academic research focused on media coverage of the China-Africa and Japan-Africa relationships, as well as the use of media in public diplomacy in the Global South.
Related Posts
How Transsion Hit the Mobile Jackpot in Africa
The Chinese mobile phone maker Transsion hasn't sold a single phone in China. Yet it posted a $580 million profit last year, largely based on its success in Africa. Through its Itel, Tecno, and Infinix brands, the company currently occupies 47% ...
This Chart May Explain Why the Indian Government is Cracking Down on Chinese Tech Companies
Chinese technology companies all but control the Indian smartphone market which may explain the motivation for New Delhi to try and force some of them to exit the market to make room for domestic competitors.
China More Popular than the United States Across MENA: Poll
The United States is markedly less popular than China in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to a new poll by Arab Barometer. The Princeton University-based public opinion tracker found that perceptions of China ...
India Could Ban Cheap Chinese Phones
The Indian government could push Chinese mobile phone manufacturers out of the lower end of its market, according to a new report by Bloomberg. The possible ban is reportedly aimed at boosting India’s failing domestic phone makers in the lucrative sub-12,000 rupee ($150) sector. ...
Chinese Phone-Makers Chafe Under Indian Pressure
The Indian government's apparent move to ban cheap Chinese-made smartphones is causing much unhappiness among Chinese companies that have worked hard to localize their presence there. Some Chinese companies are now contemplating leaving the country, but complain that they feel trapped ...
Long Read: Is Great Power Competition in Africa a Problem? Not Necessarily
As geopolitics become more polarized, the idea that both the U.S. and China have something to offer Africa has fallen out of vogue in both Washington and Beijing. However, the prominent Africa-China researcher Howard French recently revived it in a
New U.S. Strategy for Africa Raises Questions
Early headlines framed the United States’s new strategy towards Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of China and Russia, arguably because it’s difficult to get people in Washington and London to read anything about Africa without a New Cold War sweetener.
On Pelosi’s Visit, China’s Messaging Machine is Targeting the Global South
China mobilized its entire global messaging machine to protest U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recently concluded visit to Taiwan. Angry reactions have shown up in newspapers across the Global South, from Brazil to Congo to Oman and beyond. While the Global ...
Taiwan Firestorm Makes Clear Why the Global South Avoids China’s “Red Lines”
In a week of strident warnings from Beijing, one stood out. China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers that: "Those who play with fire will perish by it, and those who offend China ...
The North-South Split in the World’s China Discourse
The discourse coming out of the U.S. and China around the visit of the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan keeps reminding me of a particular stage direction in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf: George: Stop braying!
Metals Dispute Reveals Gulf Between U.S. Companies and Leaders on China
Amid the tensions and sniping surrounding the U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan, it’s revealing how the country’s corporations and officials seem to be pulling in different directions on China. U.S. officials frame China as Voldemort’s less charming cousin. ...
The Many Questions Raised by Sri Lanka’s Debt Crisis
Sri Lanka’s ongoing debt nightmare is back in the headlines, with both the U.S. government and the International Monetary Fund calling for greater Chinese engagement. The controversy raises a few questions. First and most urgently, there are questions about the thinking ...