Today is a public holiday in South Africa – Human Rights Day. There’s a certain irony in spending the day focusing on China’s President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vladimir Putin, knee-deep in a human rights disaster.
What one makes of the Ukraine crisis increasingly maps on where one lives. This is made clear by a remarkable new set of polling data recently published by the European Council on Foreign Relations ...
Author: Eric Olander
Eric Olander is the co-founder of the China Global South Project (CAP), 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.
CAR Attack Sparks New Concerns About Safety of Chinese People in Africa
One week after a brutal attack on a Chinese mining site in the Central African Republic (CAR) that killed nine people and injured two others, it's still not clear who is responsible and why they did it. All Chinese personnel in ...
China Hints It May Not Back U.S. Nominee to Lead World Bank
Ajay Banga's candidacy to become the next president of the World Bank encountered turbulence when the Chinese government hinted that it would oppose his nomination. Banga spent the day in the Chinese capital on Wednesday, meeting with Finance Minister Liu Kun, ...
World Bank President Nominee in China for Critical Meetings With Finance Leaders
Ajay Banga arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for the latest stop in his worldwide job interview to become the next president of the World Bank. Banga is scheduled to meet with Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun, various leaders from the People's ...
Reporting Tips for African Journalists Covering China
Reporting on China is difficult even for the most experienced journalist who's spent years living there and speaks the language. So, it's not surprising that reporters in Africa who've had limited exposure to the country often struggle to cover China-related news. ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Xi Bets on Global South in Moscow
WEEK IN REVIEW: Chinese President Xi Jinping Invites Russian President Vladimir Putin to Third Belt and Forum
Chinese President Xi Jinping invited Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to attend the third Belt and Forum that will take place later this year. Xi's invitation followed a pledge to “significantly increase” trade between the two countries by 2030. Russia is now China's largest oil supplier. (SOUTH CHINA ...
China Pushes Back at Outgoing World Bank President’s Criticism That Beijing Isn’t Doing Enough on Debt Relief
The Chinese government clapped back on Wednesday against renewed criticisms from outgoing World Bank President David Malpass that Beijing isn't moving fast enough to restructure debts in many of the world's poorest countries. Earlier this week, at a speech in New ...
World Bank Nominee Meets Head of China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
World Bank President-nominee Ajay Banga met with the head of the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on Wednesday during his brief trip to Beijing. The AIIB released a short statement after the meeting that said the two discussed "how the ...
Benin’s Finance Minister Meets With China Exim Bank President
Beninese Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is in Beijing this week, where he met with China Exim Bank President Ren Shengjun. Neither side released details of the meeting, but it does highlight how China Exim Bank is continuing to engage African governments ...
Key International Stakeholders Gather in Beijing to Discuss How to Bolster African Industrial Supply Chains
The China-Africa Business Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a seminar in Beijing this week that brought together high-level representatives from government, industry and civil society to discuss how to increase the value of African exports to China. The ...
Why the U.S. is Probably Quite Interested in the Equatorial Guinea Foreign Minister’s Visit to China
Equatorial Guinea (EG) Foreign Minister Simeón Oyono Esono Angue began a four-day visit to Beijing on Wednesday, where he will meet with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang. Normally, a visit like this from such a small country doesn't generate much interest from ...
China’s CMOC Set to Overtake Switzerland’s Glencore as the DR Congo’s Top Cobalt Producer
CMOC Group is forecast to overtake Swiss mining giant Glencore as the largest producer of cobalt when the Chinese company brings another massive mine online later this year. Cobalt is a critical ingredient used to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles and ...
New Foreign Ministry Annex in Ghana and a Newly Refurbished Parliament Building in Malawi Are China’s Latest “Gifts” to African Governments
Ghana's Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey was visibly excited to see what her new office will look like in the new $20 million foreign ministry annex building that will be entirely paid for by China. Botchwey was joined by the Chinese ambassador ...
Vietnamese Authorities Seize Tons of Ivory, Most Likely Bound for China
Vietnamese customs authorities in the northern port city of Hai Phong intercepted a massive seven-ton shipment of illicit ivory that originated in Angola and traveled via Singapore. Inspectors discovered the contraband on Monday after seeing a discrepancy in shipping documents that listed ...
Newly-released Sat Photos Show Chinese-funded Navy Base Taking Shape in Cambodia
New satellite photos show that Chinese contractors have made considerable progress in building an extension of the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia. The images taken by the private company Blacksky reveal the submerged foundation for a long pier that will extend ...