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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In a Swipe at the U.S., China Removes Tariffs for Nearly Every African Country
China will remove all trade tariffs on imported goods from 53 African countries in a move that starkly contrasts with U.S. President Donald Trump's pro-tariff agenda. Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced the policy on Wednesday at the conclusion of a gathering ...
One of China’s Largest Arms Companies Pitches Ghana’s Navy on New Defense Tech
Representatives from one of China's largest weapons manufacturers paid a courtesy call to the head of the Ghanaian navy earlier this month to discuss "potential avenues for future collaboration." Fang Xu, head of the Africa department at the China National ...
China’s Soy Imports Reach New Record as Shift From U.S. to Brazil Accelerates
China imported a record 13.9 metric tons of soybeans in May, a 129% increase over the previous month, as buyers moved aggressively to bulk up on inventories in anticipation of rising prices brought on by the global tariff war. Monday's ...
China Turns to Global South to Make Up for Trade Losses With the United States
China's total global trade edged slightly higher in the first five months of the year to about $2.5 trillion, buoyed by a 7.2% increase in exports. Those positive figures, though, mask a profound change in Chinese trade patterns where exports ...
Choosing Sides or Playing Both? Latin America Navigates U.S.–China Rivalry
Latin America is the key focal point for the United States in its global competition with China. President Donald Trump has made it clear that he deems China's growing presence in the Western Hemisphere a direct threat to U.S. interests in ...
Trump’s New Africa Policy Focuses on Deals… and China
U.S. foreign policy towards Africa has been totally upended since Donald Trump returned to power earlier this year. Gone are the decades-old humanitarian programs that have been replaced by a new strategy that focuses on expanding U.S. commercial ties and countering ...
Namibia Shows Off Newly-Acquired Chinese Drone
Namibia may have quietly revealed a significant addition to its defense arsenal during a military parade this week: what appears to be a Chinese-made Aisheng ASN-209 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The drone was seen this week during the Namibian Defense Force’s ...
China Tops Favorability Rankings in Africa, Outpacing U.S. and EU, New Survey Shows
China is viewed more positively than any other global or regional power in Africa, according to a new survey conducted across 29 countries by Afrobarometer, the continent’s leading public opinion measurement agency. The findings, released this week, show that 60 percent ...
China-Africa Critical Minerals Update: Clean Up in Zambia, Disputes in the DR Congo
In Zambia, efforts to clean up a massive acid spill from a Chinese-owned mine have been met with skepticism, despite government assurances. Officials claim restitution is underway and rehabilitation plans are in place, but activists question the fairness of compensation and ...
Brazil Sues China’s BYD Over ‘Slavery’ Conditions on Build Site
Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric car giant BYD and two contracting companies for human trafficking and alleged slave labor conditions at a build site, according to legal documents seen by AFP Thursday. The case concerns 220 Chinese workers found last ...
China’s J-10CE Fighter Jet Getting Lots of Attention at Malaysia Weapons Show
Sales representatives from the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC), maker of the newly popular J-10CE fighter jet, were especially busy last week at a major weapons exhibition in Malaysia. The J-10CE got a boost earlier this month when it was used in combat ...
Indonesia’s Prabowo Calls for Closer Ties With China While Signaling Drift From the United States
At a moment when many middle-power states are intentionally avoiding rhetoric that could draw their countries into the rivalry between the United States and China, Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto went the other way this weekend with a full-throated embrace of Beijing that also appeared intended to send a powerful ...