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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FOCAC 6: A China-Africa Lovefest
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit concluded in Johannesburg on Saturday amid an almost giddy atmosphere. All sides in this relationship seemingly walked away with more than what they anticipated. Africa provided a welcome relief for Xi Jinping's embattled ...
The Clean Boardroom: An Alternative Perspective on Chinese Corruption and Bribery in Kenya
“I am not a racist but…” Mrs. Zhang begins smilingly. She is addressing me specifically, staring right at my nose. Still, I miss the end of the sentence. I am busy thinking to myself: has anyone ever started a statement that way and finished it gracefully? If anyone could, ...
Terrorism Forces Its Way Onto the China-Africa Agenda
Until just a few weeks, security had not been expected to be a major topic at the December Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Johannesburg. In the span of just a few short weeks, terrorism and security issues will likely ...
A Journalist's Guide to Covering FOCAC 6
When covering any major international summit it can be challenging to get the "real story" beyond the official communiqués and government talking-points, especially at Chinese events where the messaging is often tightly controlled. James Schneider is ...
FOCAC 6: This Time It’s Different
When Chinese president Xi Jinping arrives in Johannesburg to lead the upcoming Forum on China Africa Cooperation summit, he will be greeted as an old friend by his African counterparts. There will be smiles, the customary toasts to “win-win development” and a projection of confidence from both sides that ...
The 2015 China-Africa Roundtable at Wits University
Leading scholars, journalists and activists convened in Johannesburg last week for the annual Wits China-Africa Reporting Project's annual roundtable discussion. This year's conference focused on reporting challenges related to the upcoming Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit that will be held in Johannesburg ...
Challenging the Myth of Chinese Land Grabs in Africa
Among the most durable myths surrounding the China-Africa relationship is the fear that the Chinese government and private enterprises are buying vast tracts of African farm land and have plans to transplant millions of Chinese peasants to live and work on the continent. Over ...
FOCAC: What to Expect at This Year's Mega China-Africa Summit
The 6th Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that will be held in December in Johannesburg comes at critical time in the Sino-African relationship. The combination of China's slowing economy, a major slump in global
China's Risky Oil Strategy in Africa's Sahel Region
Chad is one of the poorest, most corrupt and, increasingly, one of the most volatile countries in Africa. A recent wave of suicide bombings, allegedly orchestrated by Boko Haram, killed 36 and ...
Villain Or Vulnerable? The Story of a Young Chinese Manager in Kenya
I have to lean in to hear Zeng over the howling protests of steel meeting stone outside—although I suspect were we not on an active construction site, I might have still have to strain. A slight man, Zeng strikes me as a guy reluctant to fill a space with his ...
A Journalist's View On Reporting the China-Africa Story
The US-based online news site Quartz is among a growing number of international media companies that is investing resources to better cover Africa. The company launched Quartz Africa in June 2015 with the
Niger and the Politics of Chinese Oil Deals in Africa
The Chinese-built Soraz oil refinery in southern Niger is now operational again after a 45-day shutdown due to a blown compressor. That Soraz is up and running again will come as welcome relief to the people of Niger who depend ...