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.
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FOCAC and China’s Global Messaging
This year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was partly aimed at reinvigorating a relationship many had framed as declining. Preceded by new data showing that Chinese project financing in Africa increased after a multi-year fall, China sought to use FOCAC to present an image of its engagement with ...
Kenyan President Emphasizes Infrastructure During Beijing Trip
Kenya’s President William Ruto came to Beijing with a long wishlist. In the run-up to his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Ruto stressed several key infrastructure projects as key to Kenya’s cooperation with China. Standard Gauge Railway: The ...
Nigeria and China Announce New Cooperation Agreements
China and Nigeria signed a raft of deals aimed at broadening their economic cooperation in the run-up to the FOCAC summit in Beijing. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday. They announced the elevation of ...
China Emphasizes Global South Solidarity Before FOCAC Summit
China has called for close cooperation between developing countries in the face of “surging hegemonism” from the United States and its allies. Liu Yuxi, Beijing’s FOCAC ambassador and special envoy for African affairs, said: “In the face of surging hegemonism and ...
China Upgrades Its Relationship with South Africa
The relationship between China and South Africa has been elevated to an "all-round strategic cooperative partnership for a new era." This follows a bilateral meeting on Monday between Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Xi Jinping in the run-up to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit. ...
Xi’s Flurry of Meetings in the Run-Up to the FOCAC Summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping held successive meetings with African leaders as Beijing gears up for the triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit officially starting on Wednesday. On Monday, Xi met with eight African counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South ...
FOCAC and the Africa Plus One Summit: Where to Next?
2024’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) takes place against the backdrop of two significant trends. First, the role of the Global South, and debate over whether China should be considered a part of it, has become a more prominent question amidst escalating U.S.-China tensions and an increasingly ...
Everything You Need To Know About FOCAC 2024
With the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) now concluded, key themes and outcomes from the meeting have come into focus. While China and Africa remain aligned on many critical issues, the balance between their converging and diverging interests shaped the results of FOCAC 2024 in ...
China-Philippines Tensions Rise After Second Ship Collision in a Week
Manila and Beijing are trading blame following the second incident between ships from the two countries at the disputed Sabina Shoal in a week. According to the Chinese Coast Guard, a Philippine vessel “refused to accept control” and “deliberately collided” ...
Final Preparations for FOCAC Summit as Competitors Crowd In
Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver the keynote address of this year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit on 5 September, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. Xi will preside over a banquet and bilateral meetings with African leaders, according to ...
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Visit China Ahead of FOCAC
Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, will make a state visit to China from 2 to 5 September, according to the South African government. The visit will prepare for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, which will take place from ...
China’s Foreign Minister to Visit Myanmar and Thailand Amid Growing Tensions
Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, will visit Myanmar and Thailand this week, as tensions in the subregion mount. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced that the August 14-17 visit will include Wang co-chairing the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Thailand. He will also meet informally with ...