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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Analyst Handicaps Who’s in Contention to Become China’s Next Foreign Minister
The "House of Cards"-style drama that's unfolded in the Chinese Foreign Ministry over the past month is prompting intense speculation from China watchers in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere over who will ultimately become foreign minister following Qin Gang's unexpected exit last week.
Chinese State Media Responds to Australia’s Closer U.S Military With Threat of “Counterattack”
The Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece Global Times denounced Australia's decision to significantly increase military cooperation with the United States with a threat of military countermeasures if Canberra is involved in a U.S. conflict with Beijing. "If Australia provides strongholds or arms ...
Chinese Citizens in Niger Shelter in Place, Future of Key Energy Projects Now in Question
The Chinese embassy in Niger called on its nationals in the country to shelter in place until the security situation stabilizes following last week's military coup. So far, there have been no reports of Chinese casualties or any adverse impact on Chinese ...
Ghanaian Winger Frank Acheampong Slaps Opponent in Chinese Super League Match in Response to Alleged Racial Insults
Ghanaian footballer Frank Acheampong apparently reached a breaking point on Friday when the Shenzhen FC winger slapped a member of the opposing team in response to alleged racial slurs. The 29-year was ejected from the match for violent behaviour, his first-ever ...
What a Railway in Kenya Reveals About How China Builds Things in Africa
The Kenyan government's controversial decision to end certain subsidies and raise taxes sparked days of violent protests in Nairobi. While the move sparked a massive backlash, President William Ruto nonetheless clearly felt he had no other choice if he wanted to ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Algeria Formally Applied to Join BRICS Bloc and Pledged $1.5 Billion to New Development Bank
Algeria formally applied to join the BRICS bloc and pledged $1.5 billion to become a shareholder in the group's New Development Bank. The offer came at the end of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's five-day visit to China on Friday, when he also met with Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei in Shenzhen.
Decoding Qin Gang’s Demotion: “He’s Either Dying or Under Discipline”
One month after Qin Gang made his last public appearance as foreign minister, China's top legislative body removed him from the post on Tuesday and re-appointed the country's most senior foreign policy official Wang Yi to the position. Despite rampant speculation over ...
Türkiye’s Parliament Rejects Special Committee to Investigate Uyghur Human Rights Ahead of Wang Visit
The Turkish Parliament's Human Rights Committee blocked a plan to create a new sub-committee to investigate allegations of human rights violations of China's minority Uyghur population in Xinjiang. Instead, lawmakers opted to assign the issue to an existing sub-committee focused on ...
Kenya’s Debt-Servicing Costs Edge Higher Amid Street Protests and Heightened Uncertainty
Kenya spent 59% of all the money it collects in taxes to service the country's ballooning debt, a slight increase from the previous fiscal year. The news adds further pressure on President William Ruto, who slashed subsidies and increased taxes in ...
Corruption and Mismanagement at the Root of Kenya’s Debt Crisis, Not Chinese Loans, Say Policymakers
Critics of Chinese lending practices in developing countries often point to Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as the prime example of Beijing's aggressive tactics that underlie the "debt trap" accusation. But in Kenya, they're telling a very different story about how ...
Heard About Those Escrow Accounts Used to Secure Chinese Loans in Africa? Here’s What They Look Like in Action
There's been a lot of discussion in recent years about how Chinese lenders required high-risk borrowers in Africa and other developing countries to put large pools of money in offshore escrow accounts as a kind of insurance measure that guaranteed the creditor would be repaid. ...
Security, Infrastructure Lending Top Agenda of Wang Yi’s Four-Nation African Tour
The Communist Party of China's (CPC) top foreign policy official Wang Yi arrived in Johannesburg on Monday to represent Beijing in a two-day gathering of national security advisors from the five BRICS countries. This week's meeting in South Africa aims to ...