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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The outgoing president of the World Bank, David Malpass, again expressed his concern about the opacity of China's lending practices to developing countries. He told the BBC that Beijing needs to be "more transparent." Malpass's comments are the latest in a ...
African Leaders to Kamala Harris: We’re Going to Work With Both the U.S. and China
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is back in Washington, D.C., after wrapping up a week-long, three-nation tour of sub-Saharan Africa over the weekend. Before she left, Harris held a press conference on Friday with President Haikinde Hichilema, where she gently prodded China ...
Nigerian VP: “Most African Countries Are Rightly Unapologetic About Their Close Ties to China”
Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo pushed back against Western criticisms of Chinese engagement in Africa, saying concerns over predatory lending are "an overreaction." The Vice President spoke at King's College in London, where he also reminded the audience that "the history ...
Embassy Briefs Chinese Business Community in DR Congo on Worsening Security Conditions
China's ambassador to the DR Congo, Zhu Jing, hosted a briefing at the embassy for Chinese companies operating in the country about the deteriorating security conditions. Representatives from at least 50 Chinese companies attended the session last week that also included ...
Ford Teams Up With Chinese, Indonesian Companies in Nickel Venture
The Ford Motor Company is teaming up with Indonesia's PT Vale and Chinese mining giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt to buy the Pomalaa nickel processing plant in Indonesia. The $4.5 billion venture deepens the U.S.-automaker's stake in the battery metal supply chain in ...
Reality Check for U.S. and EU Policymakers Planning to Decouple From China’s EV Battery Supply Chain
One of the main priorities of last year's landmark environmental legislation in the U.S. (known as the Inflation Reduction Act) is to reduce, even eliminate China's role in the electric vehicle supply chain, particularly when it comes to batteries. But that ...
China’s Small but Important Role in Ghana’s Debt Crisis
China's share of Ghana's $55 billion public debt is quite small at just $1.7 billion or 3% of the total, but Beijing nonetheless plays a critical role in Accra's efforts to revive its economy. The Ghanaian government needs China's support in ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Brazilian President Expected to Reschedule China Visit to April 11th
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong embarked on a week-long trip to China on Monday that will include meetings with both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The visit marks the Singaporean leader's first visit to China since the COVID-19 pandemic. (STRAITS TIMES)
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Arrives in Beijing for Talks With President Xi Jinping
Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim arrived in Beijing on Wednesday on his first visit to the Chinese capital as Prime Minister. Ibrahim, along with a large delegation of ministers and corporate leaders, have a full schedule of high-level talks and deal signings ...
Singapore PM Meets With Guangdong’s Top CPC Official on His Way to Beijing
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a brief stopover in China's southern Guandong province on Wednesday during his six-day visit to China. Lee paid a courtesy call to the province's top official, Communist Party Secretary Huang Kunming, to discuss deeper economic ...
Challenging Chinese Mining Contracts Isn’t About Politics, It’s About What’s Fair, Says DRC Finance Minister
DR Congo Finance Minister Nicolas Kazadi pushed back against the narrative that Kinshasa is specifically targeting Chinese companies over unfair mining contracts. The minister was adamant in his discussion with Financial Times correspondent Tom Wilson at the FT Commodities Global ...
Zambia’s Debt Grows to $33 Billion as Restructuring Talks Stall and Interest Accrues
The Zambian Finance Ministry released its latest debt figures this week that reveals the painful cost that delays in restructuring are exacting on the economically-distressed country. The country's total public debt now stands at $32.8 billion, up $300 million since last ...