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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Reuters: Suspected Chinese Hackers Stole AU Surveillance Video
For the second time in two years, China is being accused of spying on the headquarters of the African Union. A new report published today by the Reuters news service alleges that suspected Chinese hackers infiltrated AU servers and obtained video surveillance files from the ...
New Allegations That China Spied on the AU Spark a Flashback to Similar Accusations in 2018
Reuters' exclusive report that suspected Chinese hackers penetrated the African Union's IT networks to siphon off data prompted many to think "uh oh, here we go again," and recalling similar accusations back in 2018. In 2018,
Second Batch of Chinese-Vaccines Arrive in Cairo
A second batch of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, according to a report in the Egypt Today newspaper. Altogether, the Chinese have shipped 100,000 doses to Egypt over the past week that will inoculate 50,000 people. ...
Analyst: China Will Diversify Iron Ore Buys From Australia, Brazil To Guinea in West Africa
Peter O’Connor, a senior analyst of metals and mining at the Australian investment firm Shaw and Partners, said out loud on CNBC what many people have been quietly thinking: that the natural progression of China's steadily deteriorating ties with Australia will prompt Beijing to end its dependence ...
Vlog: How Africans in China Challenge Stereotypical Views on African Migration
Hong Kong-based Lingnan University Assistant Professor Roberto Castillo, one of the world's foremost scholars on the African diaspora in China, published a new vlog that previews a number of the key themes featured in his upcoming book on the topic.
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution in Africa Presents China With a Golden Geopolitical Opportunity
The same week that 100,000 doses of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Africa for the first time, news emerged from the World Health Organization that its Covax vaccine alliance is in trouble. Reuters reported that ...
China Accused (Again) of Spying on the African Union
Today's Reuters report that detailed how suspected Chinese hackers broke into African Union data networks to siphon off surveillance video sparked a whole new round of "I told you so." The initial reaction online to the report was essentially what do you ...
Ghana’s Thinking Small (And That’s a Good Thing)
The Bui Power Authority (BPA) in Ghana recently launched a new solar farm that's connected to a Chinese-built hydroelectric dam. The idea here is that when water levels run low and power generation dips, the solar farm kicks in to make up the difference. ...
The Once Frenetic Debate Over Chinese Debt in Africa Has All But Disappeared
China's top diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, Wu Peng, posted a tweet today that restated China's often-repeated position about its commitment to implement the G20's Debt Service Suspension Initiative and to help "alleviate debt pressure on African countries." It's not ...
Ambassador Zhou Pingjian: China’s Tried Its Best to Meet Kenya’s Request on Loans
The Nation's Senior Diplomatic Writer, Aggrey Mutambo, sat down with China's ambassador to Kenya for a wide-ranging interview that covered access to Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines, next year's FOCAC summit in Dakar, and how Beijing will deal with Nairobi's difficulty in repaying its debts.
China, Debt and the Future of Kenya
The investigative series Africa Uncensored broadcast a riveting one-hour documentary on Kenyan national TV last night that explored the country's ballooning national debt. The program highlighted how, as Kenya's largest bilateral creditor owning an estimated 70% (or $6.2 billion) of its ...
African Diplomats in China Are Spending a Lot More Time These Days Talking About The Belt and Road Initiative
Ethiopia's ambassador to China, Teshome Tog Chanaka, shared his enthusiasm on Twitter Tuesday about his participation in the latest forum on how to integrate Africa into the Belt and Road. The event was organized by the Algerian embassy and the Taihe Institute, an international policy ...