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.
Related Posts
Who’s in Charge of China’s Foreign Policy, the Party or the State?
It's been 29 days since anyone saw Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in public. Why he's gone missing is anyone's guess. No one outside of a small number of elite Chinese leaders really knows what's going on, so beware of any speculation you read on Twitter or ...
Russian, Indian Media Claim Retired Chinese Diplomat Yang Jiechi to Resurface in South Africa for BRICS Gathering
Major Indian and Russian media outlets circulated an unusual story over the weekend that veteran Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi will come out of retirement to meet with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the sidelines of this week's BRICS security gathering in Johannesburg to discuss the worsening Sino-Indian border ...
Japanese Foreign Minister to Embark on Six-Nation Tour of South Asia and Africa
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will head out this week on a six-nation Asian and African tour to discuss Tokyo's vision for Global South cooperation. Hayashi said at a press conference on Friday that he will first go to India and ...
Malawian Court Convicts Chinese Man at the Center of BBC Expose for Exploiting Children to Make Videos
A Malawian court convicted Lu Ke, the Chinese man featured in a BBC Eye on Africa documentary about the highly exploitative practice of showcasing African children in so-called "blessing videos." The court on Friday sentenced Lu to 12 months in ...
Indian Navy Transfers Fully Operational Warship to Vietnam, Adding Yet More Naval Hardware to the South China Sea
The Indian Navy gifted the Vietnam People's Navy with an aging yet still functioning warship on Saturday during a handover ceremony for the INS Kirpan in the central Vietnamese port city of Cam Ranh. The transfer comes one month after Indian Defense ...
Viral Video That Purportedly Shows Wife of China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Beating Maid is Inaccurate
A Twitter video that claims to show the wife of the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong, violently beating a woman on the streets of Islamabad is likely false, according to fact-checkers who were unable to authenticate the source or the date the video was shot.
China’s Tactics and Methods to Influence African Media
Confucius Institutes (CIs) were once known only for teaching Mandarin language and culture classes but the organization's mission has evolved recently to now include "training" sessions for African journalists on how to cover China. CIs ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China’s Top Diplomat Wang Yi Will Travel to Africa Next Week
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will travel to Africa next week. He is attending a meeting of BRICS national security advisors in Johannesburg on 24 and 25 July. In addition to South Africa, he will also visit Nigeria, Kenya, and Türkiye. (CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS)
Security, Energy Top Agenda in Algerian President’s Talks With Xi
“China is our most important friend," declared Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in his opening remarks during talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Abdelmadjid met with Xi on Tuesday during a high-profile five-day visit that is being closely watched by ...
China Turns to Ex-President Duterte to Try and Salvage Ties With the Philippines
Chinese President Xi Jinping turned to an old friend this week in an effort to repair badly-damaged ties with the Philippines. Xi met with former president Rodrigo Duterte at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Monday in what appeared to ...
China’s New Ambassador to the DRC Tours Mining Sites in the Copper/Cobalt Belt
China's new envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zhao Bin, traveled to the southern Lualaba province last week for his first tour of a Chinese mining facility. Zhao led an embassy delegation to visit the Lualaba Copper Smelting Co., Ltd, ...
Nigerian Trader Sparks Online Controversy When He Shows How Much He Bought for Just $63
Nigerian TikTok users couldn't believe what they were seeing when a China-based importer who goes by the TikTok handle @timi_perfection posted a video that laid out everything he bought for just 50,000 nairas (about $63.) Dozens of comments expressed doubt over how much ...