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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Zambian Government Tries to Calm Fears Over Contaminated Water From Chinese Mine Disaster
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China Blasts Ted Cruz’s Call for Somaliland Recognition as “Coercive” and “Hegemonic”
Powerful conservative U.S. Senator Ted Cruz kicked up a Texas-sized social media storm on Friday when he declared his support for the U.S. government to diplomatically recognize the breakaway nation of Somaliland on the Horn of Africa. Cruz's post generated a huge ...
Chinese Foreign Minister in India for Critical Talks Ahead of SCO Summit
China's top diplomat Wang Yi arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a two-day visit that will include high-level talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, his counterpart S. Jaishankar, and an unusual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Wang's first order ...
China Slams Germany for ‘Hyping’ Regional Tensions in Asia
China lashed out at Germany on Monday, warning Berlin against "inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions" after its foreign minister said Beijing was "increasingly aggressive" in the Asia-Pacific region. During a visit to Japan, Johann Wadephul said China had made repeated ...
‘If You Want to Get Rich, Build a Road.’ Testing China’s Theory in Africa
There's a Chinese proverb that says, “If you want to get rich, build a road first.” That philosophy has guided China's development strategy in Africa for much of the past 25 years, that's led to the construction of more than 100,000km ...
South Africa Close to Signing Major Fruit Export Deal With China, Says Ag Minister
South Africa is close to finalizing a major agricultural trade agreement that would significantly expand the range of fruit that could enter the Chinese market. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said both sides are close on terms, and he hopes that a ...
Cambodia’s New Chinese-Built Capital Airport Set to Open
Cambodian aviation authorities will conduct a final test flight on Friday at the country's massive new airport ahead of the official opening on September 9th. It took Chinese contractors five years to build the new facility that includes a stunning nine-ton, ...
Tensions Surge in the South China Sea as PLA Confronts U.S., Philippines Presence
Chinese warships and fighter jets were out in force on Wednesday near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in a bid to push out a pair of U.S. warships and a Philippine Coast Guard surveillance plane flying overhead. ...
U.S. Sanctions Hong Kong Firms Over Illegal Mining in the DR Congo
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed penalties on a pair of Hong Kong-based companies for "destabilizing activities in the DRC" that involved the purchase of illegally sourced minerals. The companies were allegedly operating in an area near the far eastern city ...
Rare U.S., China Alignment Over Designation of Pakistani Separatist Group as “Terrorists”
The U.S. announced this week that it would designate the Pakistani separatist militant group The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its affiliate The Majeed Brigade as a terrorist organizations. The move was well-received in Beijing. Monday's decision by the State ...
Direct Flights Between India and China Set to Resume as Part of Broader Rapprochement
A nearly five-year freeze in relations between India and China is quickly thawing ahead of a landmark visit to Tianjin later this month by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi's upcoming trip would mark his first visit to China in ...