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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Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed support for South Africa to remain host for the upcoming BRICS summit in August. Xi's comments during a call with his SA counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday indicate he may not support a change in venue that would reduce pressure on Pretoria to ...
Honduran President Leaves China With Deals and a Sense That Dumping Taiwan Was the Right Thing to Do
Honduran President Xiomara Castro heads home on Wednesday after what she described as a "historic" six-day trip to China that culminated with a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Xi complemented Castro for her "historic decisiveness" and "strong political will" for fulfilling her ...
White House Pressed to Explain Muddled Response to Report About Chinese Spy Base in Cuba
The White House is defending its seemingly contradictory response to last week's Wall Street Journal report that claimed China is building a new base in Cuba to spy on the United States. When the report first came out, National Security Council Spokesperson ...
Chinese Scholars Are (Really) Confident China Can Mediate a Settlement Between Palestinians and Israelis
There is an emerging consensus among prominent Mideast scholars in China that Beijing is now the ideal mediator to help broker a settlement to the seemingly intractable Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Their confidence (which some might see as hubris) is rooted in the ...
U.S. Treasury Secretary, Chinese Premier Both Scheduled to Attend Global Financial Conference in Paris
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Premier Li Qiang are both scheduled to attend the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in Paris next week, where debt relief for the world's poorest countries is expected to be high on the agenda.
China’s Horn of Africa Envoy Addresses East African Leaders’ Forum in Djibouti
China's low-profile special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, made a rare public appearance on Monday to address the opening session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Leaders forum in Djibouti. Xue joined special envoys from Italy, the ...
Veteran Chinese Diplomat is New Envoy to Zimbabwe
China's new envoy to Zimbabwe, Zhou Ding, presented his credentials to President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week to become the second Chinese ambassador in Africa (after Zhao Bin in the DRC) to take up their post this year. Zhou, like Zhao, comes ...
Why China Wins and the West Loses When the Price of Cobalt Drops
U.S. and European automakers are rejoicing over the 30% plunge in cobalt prices this year, providing relief for one of the costliest elements needed to power electric vehicles. But what's good for Tesla, Ford and VW is not aligned with the ...
China Formalizes Ties With Honduras, Bolstering Diplomatic Presence in the Americas
77 days after President Xiomara Castro announced Honduras would switch its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China, the two countries made it official with the inauguration of a new embassy in Beijing. Sunday's plaque reveal ceremony in the Chinese capital followed less ...
Huawei is Now the Must-See Stop in China for Visiting Global South Leaders
Honduran President Xiomara Castro is the third leader from a developing country in just the past two months to include a stop at a Huawei research facility during their state visit to China. Castro visited the telecom giant's Shanghai research ...
The White House’s Confusing Response to Report That China Uses Cuba to Spy on U.S.
U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby was adamant last Thursday when he refuted as "inaccurate" a Wall Street Journal report that China was planning to build a new spy base in Cuba. A few days later, though, the White House ...
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Heads to Beijing to See if China is Serious About Mediating Conflict With Israel
Mideast diplomacy will be back at the top of the agenda in Beijing this week when Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrives in the Chinese capital on Tuesday for a four-day visit. The Palestinian leader is reportedly going to see if ...