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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There appears to be mounting concern but not outright panic over the surge of oil prices on Monday, brought on by the war between the U.S./Israel, and Iran. Oil prices opened the week above $100 a barrel for the first time in four years in response to ...
China Seeks Iran Deal for Tanker Passage Through Closed Strait of Hormuz
China is reportedly in talks with Iran to negotiate safe passage for oil and gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently closed to most maritime traffic. Beijing is reportedly displeased with Tehran over the closure of the narrow ...
China’s Wang Yi Criticizes U.S. and Defends Multilateral Order at Annual Press Briefing
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi forcefully denounced the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, saying the conflict “should never have happened.” Wang restated Beijing's call for a ceasefire and renewed his offer to help mediate an end to the conflict. Wang, ...
BRICS Faces a Test as China and India Offer Starkly Different Responses to War
In the space of 24 hours, between Sunday and Monday, the foreign ministers from both China and India laid out their respective governments’ positions on the escalating war in the Middle East. In Beijing, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, was unsparing ...
China Says Opposes Any Targeting of New Iran Leader
China said Monday that Iran's decision to name Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader following the killing of his father was a domestic matter, and it opposed any attempt to target him. Israel's military has threatened to target any successor ...
Who Controls the Battery Age? Congo, China, and the New Resource Order
The U.S., Japan, and other G7 countries are scrambling to secure critical minerals to end their reliance on Chinese-controlled supply chains. Every week, there's news of another mining deal for cobalt, lithium, and other resources essential to powering 21st century technology. ...
China to Send Special Envoy to Mediate in Middle East: FM
China will send a special envoy to mediate in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday, as the war triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continued its regional spread. Beijing is a close partner of Iran and has ...
The Iran War Looks Very Different From China
The United States and Israel have launched strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggering a full-scale war in the Middle East. As the region descends into conflict, a fascinating debate has emerged about what this means for China: ...
As U.S. and Israel Strike Iran, China Watchers See Beijing Poised to Profit From the Chaos
Almost immediately after the U.S. and Israel launched "major combat operations" against Iran, a vigorous debate erupted online over what this latest conflict in the Persian Gulf would mean for China. The discourse largely broke down into two distinct categories:
China Evacuates 3,000 Nationals From Iran as Beijing Condemns U.S. and Israeli Strikes as Violation of International Law
At least 3,000 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from Iran over the past 72 hours, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning. The exodus follows calls for Chinese nationals across the Persian Gulf and the Mideast to leave, if possible, or shelter in place if not. ...
China Stocks Steady as Surges in Energy, Defense Shares Offset Airline Losses; HK Drops
China's equity benchmarks were little changed on Monday in the wake of the Iran conflict as surges in energy, defense and gold stocks offset plunges in airline and tourism shares. Mainland sentiment was supported by expectations that Beijing may step in ...
With Pakistan and Afghanistan at War, China Confronts a Strategic Moment on Its Frontier
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared "open war" against Afghanistan on Friday amid a surge of fighting between the two South Asian neighbors. Pakistan said it's retaliating against Afghanistan for a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing in early February that killed ...