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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China, the U.S., and the Competition for Africa’s Strategic Resources
Southern Africa has become a focal point of geopolitical competition, with the U.S., China, and other global powers maneuvering for influence over key infrastructure projects and critical resources. The Lobito Corridor Project, a railway and logistics ...
China Touts Success of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway But Leaves Out One Very Important Detail
Chinese state media is touting the enormous success of the Beijing-backed Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya, which serves as a showcase for the Belt and Road Initiative. The official Xinhua published a report last week that was full of numbers that demonstrate the railway's achievements since it ...
China, Nigeria to Cooperate in Combatting Cybercrime
China and Nigeria have agreed to cooperate together to crack down on cybercrimes in the West African country, particularly those that involve Chinese nationals. “The Chinese government is ready to send out a working group to Nigeria to work with your law enforcement officers for evidence collection, fraud tracing, ...
As Trade War Worsens, Chinese Ag Buyers Shift From U.S., Canada to Brazil
Beginning Monday, China will increase tariffs on U.S. chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton exports by 15%, with duties on a slate of other food products, including soybeans, pork, and beef, going up by an additional 10%. The Commerce Ministry in Beijing says these latest measures are in response to 20% ...
Zimbabwe’s Fight for Responsible Mining: Lessons for Africa & China
In recent years, the relationship between Chinese mining companies and local communities in many African countries has been very contentious over allegations of environmental damage, a lack of transparency, and tensions with local civil society groups.
The End of the West and the Future of China
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision this week to pause military funding for Ukraine and to align his government with Russia further widens the cleavage between the United States and Europe — effectively breaking what has long been known as "the West." ...
Singapore Probes Final Destination of Possible Nvidia Chip Servers
Servers that may contain AI-powering Nvidia chips shipped from the United States to Singapore ended up in Malaysia, but their actual final destination remains a mystery, the city-state's interior minister said Monday. The United States is cracking down on exports of ...
Tanzanian Ruling Party Leader Meets with Chinese Envoy, Underscoring Beijing’s Party-to-Party Ties
The Vice Chairman of Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi, Stephen Wasira, paid a courtesy call to the Chinese embassy on Sunday for talks with Beijing's envoy to Dar es Salaam Chen Mingjian. The Chinese embassy did not release specific details of their discussions, ...
Chinese Countermeasures Against U.S. Agriculture Could Bode Well for Global South Countries
China is expected to target U.S. agricultural goods in its latest countermeasures against new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, according to the Communist Party-run newspaper Global Times. Since China is the largest export market for U.S. farmers, any new ...
U.S. Lawmakers Want to Close Back Doors That Chinese Companies Use to Circumvent Tariffs
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. Senate is set to introduce new legislation on Monday aimed at cracking down on Chinese companies that shift production to other countries to circumvent tariffs. The bill, if passed, would allow the Commerce Department ...
Phase 3 of the Belt & Road Initiative: Develop New Supply Chains
Princeton University Post-Doctoral Researcher Kyle Chan recently published a fascinating new map of that shows the surge of Chinese manufacturing investment around the world between 2019 and 2024. Unsurprisingly, the map reveals heavy investment in Southeast Asia but relatively little in Africa ...
Tracking China’s Dominance of the Transition Minerals Trade
U.S. and European leaders often talk about the importance of building China-free supply chains for transition minerals and other critical resources. While, for a lot of people, that may resonate among their constituents at home, the reality is that it's not ...