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
Hundreds of Chinese Nationals Evacuated From Northern Ethiopia, Confirms Foreign Ministry Spokesman
600 Chinese nationals have reportedly been safely escorted out of the conflict zone in northern Ethiopia. "With the assistance of the Ethiopian side, the Chinese citizens there have basically been evacuated," confirmed Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian at the regular ...
Chen Xiaodong Is as Much an Ambassador for the Chinese Communist Party as He Is for the Chinese Government
China's new ambassador to South Africa, Chen Xiaodong, led a webinar discussion this week that highlighted the dual role that Chinese envoys play abroad: to represent both the Chinese state and the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They're not the same thing.
Russian and Chinese Propaganda Efforts in Africa
Combatting fake news, misinformation and outright propaganda is one of the foremost challenges confronting policymakers in Africa and elsewhere around the world. Some of that misleading information is distributed organically while other memes are intentionally deployed by governments to influence local ...
As Zambia Nears Default, Analysts Examine What Went Wrong
Although Zambia missed a $42.5 million bond payment on November 14th, and effectively defaulted on that portion of its debt, it's still technically not in default yet. It will probably officially cross that line within the next few days, making it the first African country this year ...
Many Kenyans Surprised and Somewhat Perturbed That the Chinese Contractor Building the Nairobi Expressway is Going to Make a LOT of Money
The China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a Chinese state-owned construction company, is forecast to earn almost a billion dollars in profits over the 27 years that it will operate the new Nairobi Expressway that's now under construction. Details of the ...
Chinese Oil Buying From Saudi Arabia Surges, Likely at Africa’s Expense
Saudi Arabia is emerging as an increasingly important hub on China's Belt and Road Initiative as Beijing turns to the Kingdom for an increasingly large share of its oil procurement. Last year, two-way trade surged 23% year-on-year to $78 billion, and even amid the ...
With Chinese Loans Coming Due, Ethiopia Moves Forward With Ethio Telecom Privatization Plan
The Ethiopian government is moving forward with plans to sell off a 45% stake of the state-owned Ethio Telecom along with two more telecom licenses even though this may not be the best time to do that given the weak economy and the escalating conflict in the ...
China Combines Military Outreach with PPE Diplomacy in the DRC
China's ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo handed over a donation on behalf of the People's Liberation Army to an officer from the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC). The donation of health supplies is part of a larger PLA engagement strategy to foster ...
G20 Wraps Up Summit With Lots of Promises But Very Little Concrete Action on Debt Relief
Debt relief for the world's poorest countries was high on the agenda at this weekend's Group of 20 summit organized by Saudi Arabia. The conference ended on Sunday with what's become standard promises to expand its Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) and calls ...
China Claims It’s Done More to Relieve Developing World Debt Than Any Other G20 Member
Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun provided a robust defense of Beijing's participation in the G20's Debt Service Suspension Initiative and said his government is doing more than any other in the group in providing billions of dollars of debt relief to the world's poorest countries.
China and the G20’s New “Common Framework” For Debt Relief
One of the highlights from the latest G20 summit was the group's endorsement of a so-called "common framework" that would create a set of standards for countries not eligible for the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). Officials at the U.S. Treasury who championed the idea said the ...
Dissecting the Zambian Debt Crisis and What Role China, Private Creditors Played
One week after Zambia failed to meet a deadline to repay $42.5 million on some of its Eurobond debt, African and international media are examining what went wrong and who precisely is to blame. In an appearance ...