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.
Related Posts
Apple’s Plan to Shift More Manufacturing From China to Elsewhere in Asia Takes Shape
Since the beginning of the year, there's been a steady drip of news coming from Apple about its plans to gradually end its decades-long reliance on China to manufacture the bulk of the company's products. First, there was word that
With Sales Slowing at Home, Chinese EV Giant BYD Looks to New Markets in the Global South
September sales of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) in China increased at the slowest pace in five months, providing fresh hints that relentless COVID lockdowns and a slowing Chinese economy may be taking a toll on the Chinese consumer. ...
Chinese Consumer Preferences Now Influencing Ford’s SUV Sales in Other Global South Markets
The new Ford Territory SUV crossover that will go on sale next year in Mexico will feature styling and interior features that were conceived for Chinese consumers. The Territory is the product of Ford's Chinese joint venture with state-owned Jiangling Motors Corporation. The two jointly designed the ...
Nigeria Awards Huawei Contract to Build Electronic Border Surveillance System
Huawei will build a new satellite-based electronic monitoring system along sections of Nigeria's 5,000-kilometer border in a bid to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and to provide early detection of security threats. Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola said last week that the ...
One of China’s Leading Mideast Scholars Expresses Sympathy For Iranian Protestors, Testing the Limits of What’s Acceptable in His Own Country
One of China's most prominent Mideast scholars, Fan Hongda from the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, is expressing solidarity with anti-government protestors in Iran on social media. At the same time, he's pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable online speech for a Chinese ...
Somalia Voted With China’s Critics at the UN Human Rights Council to Initiate a Debate on Xinjiang. But Why?
Somalia was a standout last week when it was the only African country and the only Muslim-majority country to back a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council that called for a debate over China's human rights policies in Xinjiang.
Chinese Battery Giant CATL Bets on the Future of Cobalt By Buying a Big Chunk of CMOC
Strong demand for electric vehicles around the world helped to triple profits at Chinese battery giant CATL, the world's largest battery maker. The company is reporting that third-quarter profits for the year will reach $1.23 billion. CATL is going to use ...
China and India’s Steadily Deteriorating Relationship
It wasn't that long ago that many people thought the longtime rivalry between India and China had begun to subside. In fact, Xi Jinping traveled to India in 2019, his second visit as president, for a profile, seemingly amicable summit with ...
Sorry, Mr. Minister, China Isn’t Going to Finance Your Railway
Nigeria's Transportation Minister Mu'azu Sambo made a remarkable statement during a press conference on Friday. He is apparently still waiting for the China Exim Bank to come through with funding to build a pair of very expensive, multi-billion dollar railways. ...
Massive Supply Chain Disruptions Expected on Key China-Africa Trade Route Due to South African Labor Unrest
Key strategic resources exported via South African ports to China are expected to face severe disruptions in the coming days and weeks in response to the declaration of force majeure by SA's state-run logistics operator Transet in response to the escalating labor strife with its ...
Xinjiang Human Rights Council Vote Prompts Spirited Debate in Asia Over Why Governments Backed China
The two Asian governments with the world's largest Muslim populations, Indonesia and India, have been on the defensive in recent days for their vote last Thursday at the United Nations Human Rights Council to block a discussion over Chinese human rights policies in Xinjiang. ...
After Months of Delay, China Finally Begins Debt Restructuring Talks With Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the country's parliament late last week that China had finally agreed to begin long-desired debt restructuring talks. During a recent visit to Tokyo, President Wickremesinghe also called on Japan, Sri Lanka's other main creditor in addition to China and ...