Author: Eric Olander

Eric Olander is the co-founder of the China Global South Project, an independent, non-partisan media initiative dedicated to exploring every facet of China’s engagement in Africa. Eric is a fluent Mandarin-speaker and a longtime China-watcher with more than 25 years of journalism experience at many of the world’s leading media companies, including CNN, the BBC, and FRANCE24, among others. He received his undergraduate degree in East African History from the University of California at Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in Chinese Public Affairs from the University of Hong Kong.

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U.S. Pushes New Critical Minerals Bloc to Counter China

The United States wants to build a new global critical minerals supply chain through a new alliance that aims to stabilize prices and reduce dependence on China.  Africa sits at the center of this shift, particularly the Democratic Republic of the ...

Panama Hits Back After China Warns of ‘Heavy Price’ in Ports Row

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday rejected China's threat to make the Central American country pay a "heavy price" after a Hong Kong company was evicted from two ports on the Panama Canal. Writing on X, Mulino "strongly" rejected the ...

Senators Push $70 Billion Funding Deal to Support Trump’s Critical Minerals Push, FT Reports

Senators will introduce legislation on Wednesday to reauthorize funding for the United States Export-Import Bank for the next decade, as lawmakers try to inject an extra $70 billion into the agency to support U.S. President Donald Trump's critical minerals push, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

China Warns Panama of ‘Heavy Prices’ to Pay After CK Hutchison Contract Quashed

China warned Panama on Tuesday there would be "heavy prices" to pay after a court ruling there annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's contract to operate two ports at the Panama Canal. China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office called the ruling ...

Peru Exports Jump as China Trade Accelerates After Chancay Port Launch

Peru's exports hit a new record in 2025, jumping 21% from the prior year, fueled by the launch of a massive port on the country's central coast. The South American country's exports totaled $90.08 billion last year, thanks to higher sales ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Confusing Developments in “Development”

This week I’m in Brussels, where I took part in a workshop on how the EU should shape its development strategy in response to China’s global influence.
I have joked in the past that it feels like I’ve attended this same ‘EU, Africa, and External Development Partners’ conference for ten years straight. 

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Why the Belt and Road Is Back in a Big Way

There's been a lot of discussion in recent years about the financial health of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Critics contend the BRI became overstretched, bankrupting borrowers and straining creditors suffering from a weakening Chinese economy.

After a Panama Port Decision, Washington Faces Hard Choices on China and the Canal

U.S. government officials celebrated last week's decision by the Supreme Court in Panama to nullify the contract for a Hong Kong-based company to operate ports along the country's two coasts, leading into the canal zone. A lot of people erroneously thought ...

U.S. to Buy 100,000 Tonnes of Congolese Copper Sourced From a Chinese-Run Mine

The United States is going to source 100,000 tonnes of copper from the state-owned mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gécamines, ostensibly to help the U.S. diversify its sourcing of the red metal beyond China-controlled supply chains. What's ...

Claims U.S. Pressured Kenya to Halt Trade Deal With China Proven False, Says Fact Checking Group

There is no evidence to support the social media meme that falsely claimed the United States pressured the Kenyan government to halt trade talks with China, according to the reputable fact-checking website Africa Check. Africa Check traced the origins of the ...

Uruguay’s President Arrives in Beijing for Week-Long Visit

Uruguay President Yamandu Orsi landed in Beijing on Sunday to kick off a seven-day visit to China that will include talks with President Xi Jinping. Although Uruguay is one of China's smaller trade partners in South America (total two-way trade around ...

After Panama Port Ruling, False Claims Spread About China’s Role in the Canal

The Panamanian Supreme Court ruling that annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's contracts to operate a pair of ports on either side of the Panama Canal prompted loud, triumphant reaction from conservative and MAGA stakeholders, including many who took to X to incorrectly declare "China had been kicked ...

China Bristles After Panama Court Strips Hong Kong Firm of Canal Port Operations

The Chinese government reacted angrily to a Panamanian Supreme Court decision late last week that stripped Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison of operating two ports along the Panama Canal. The court ruled on Thursday that the concession for Panama Ports Company, a CK ...
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