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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China used the last remaining hours of its month-long presidency of the United Nations Security Council to convene a high-level dialogue on the Israel-Hamas war. Foreign Minister Wang Yi led the discussion on Wednesday in New York, where he presented the ...
The Longer the Israel-Hamas War Goes, the Worse It Is for China’s Interests in the Middle East, Says Scholar
Prior to the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas on civilians in southern Israel on October 7th, China presented itself as a burgeoning diplomatic power in the region that was gearing up to take on a larger role brokering peace deals across the Middle East. ...
Vietnam and Japan Elevate Diplomatic Ties in Response to China’s Growing Assertiveness in Asia-Pacific
Vietnam added another major power to its growing list of top-tier diplomatic partners this week when President Võ Văn Thưởng announced the elevation of diplomatic ties with Japan to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" -- Hanoi's highest diplomatic status that puts Tokyo at the same level as China, the U.S., ...
China’s DRC Envoy Calls for Better Protection of Chinese Nationals in Eastern Congo
Chinese ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zhao Bin, urged security officials in the southeastern Tanganyika Province near the border with Tanzania to do more to protect Chinese nationals in the area. Kidnappings and murders of Chinese nationals in ...
A Chinese Perspective on the Proposed U.S.-Backed Lobito Corridor in Angola
Angolan President João Lourenço is scheduled to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, at the White House on Thursday, where the two are expected to discuss moving forward with the development of the Lobito Corridor. The U.S. and the European ...
Israel’s Ambassador to China Says Ties Remain Stable Despite Differences Over Beijing’s Response to the War
There's been palpable disappointment in Israel over China's delayed reaction to the October 7th attack by Hamas and Beijing's refusal to label the Islamic militant group a terrorist organization. Those differences aside, however, relations between the two countries remain stable, according ...
China Benefits as Israel-Hamas War Undermines West’s Standing in Global South
There's mounting concern in the U.S. and Europe that their global reputations, particularly in developing countries, will be among the latest casualties of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In the Global South, anger is rising against ...
China Bolsters Ties With Uruguay in a Bid to Diversify Its Economic Relations in South America
China is moving to bolster its diplomatic ties in South America in a bid to pressure one of the region's lone holdouts that still recognizes Taiwan and diversify its trade beyond the continent's major powers. Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou ...
China Sends Tough Love Message to Argentina’s President-Elect
The Chinese government is putting on a brave face in response to the election of Argentina's far-right president-elect Javier Milei who regularly denounced Beijing in the campaign and even compared China to a “murderer.” President Xi Jinping sent the usual congratulatory ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Zambia Debt | Lula’s China Diss | China-Africa Journalism
Zambia suffered a major setback this week in its nearly three-year odyssey to restructure $32 billion of debt when the country's bilateral creditors led by China and France pushed back against bondholders. Plus, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued ...
Brazilian President Says He Tried to Prevent Africa From Being “Taken Hostage” by China
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a rare public critique of China on Tuesday when he said his government sought closer ties with African countries in a bid to shield the continent from being "taken hostage" by China. "Brazil had to ...
China’s Response to the Israel-Hamas War
Prior to the October 7th terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel, China had positioned itself as a new power broker in the Middle East. Chinese officials were brimming with confidence after they finalized a détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia ...