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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Africa and the Prospect of a New U.S.-China Cold War
The last time the United States fought a Cold War it led to devastating, long term consequences for Africa. Now, as the U.S. moves to challenge China's growing influence around the world, Africa risks becoming collateral damage in yet another great power rivalry.
The Rise of Chinese Tech in Africa is Both Feared and Embraced
2019 is not even a month old and already two major Chinese tech companies have announced big plans to expand in Africa. Electronics giant Xiaomi and budget smartphone maker Realme (a sibling company of mobile device giant Oppo) will an ...
African Governments Need to Negotiate Better Deals With China. Here's How They Can Do It.
Africa's rising indebtedness to China is prompting concern across the continent that governments need to do a better job negotiating infrastructure financing deals. Too often, critics contend, the Chinese are simply out-maneuvering their African counterparts in the negotiating process.
Where Does Africa Fit in Xi Jinping’s Worldview?
This September 50 African leaders will arrive in Beijing for what is widely expected to be one of the most important international summits of the year. Billions of dollars in financial aid and loans along with China's broader strategic direction for ...
Author Mukuka Chipanta's Fictional Portrait of China-Zambia Ties
Given the tensions and controversies that have shaped China's decades-long engagement in Africa, it's a bit surprising that there are so few fictional books on the subject. For some reason, Africa's deep reservoir of talented writers has largely avoided using the Chinese presence on ...
2018 China-Africa Year in Review
In this special episode of the China in Africa Podcast, Eric & Cobus look back on the most important stories of 2018. Not surprisingly, debt dominated the agenda as key stakeholders on both sides began to show signs of concern that China is lending ...
China's Economy is Slowing and That's Really Bad News for Africa
Pretty much every major economic indicator suggests that the Chinese economy will continue its downward momentum in 2019. Industrial production, retail sales, and even the once red-hot property market are all showing real signs of weakness. Some economists even believe ...
China in Africa: An Increasingly Uneasy Marriage of Interests
London-based independent journalist Ismail Einashe joins Eric & Cobus to talk about his latest reporting trip to Africa where he wrote about China's deteriorating standing in several African countries, most notably Kenya and Zambia. Ismail has covered the China-Africa relationship for a ...
The Role of Human Rights in the China-Africa Discourse
This week Dr. Stacey Links joins Eric & Cobus from Amsterdam to discuss her research in the role that human rights plays within the broader China-Africa relationship. Stacey, a South African native, recently completed her Ph.D. on the subject at the University of Utrecht ...
The Promise and Peril of Chinese Tech Investment in Africa
China's tech giants are rapidly expanding their presence in Africa in commercial, consumer and government sectors. In just the past few weeks alone, there has been a flurry of announcements from a number of Chinese tech companies that highlight their growing enthusiasm for the ...
Why South Africa's Large Chinese Population is Known as the "Quiet Community"
The Chinese community in South Africa is one of the oldest and largest in Africa. But even though the history of Chinese migrants in SA dates back to the 1800s, most people in South Africa still know very little about this population. Known as ...
Africa’s Role in the Ongoing Chinese Debt Crisis Debate
Amid the ongoing discussion over surging debt in Africa, some familiar narratives have emerged about the different actors: Africa is once again being victimized by foreign powers. The West is ...