Category: Academia
DRC Ex-Prez Gets PhD Focusing on China
A PhD dissertation by Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been approved by South Africa’s University of Johannesburg. Kabila was a key architect of the controversial Sicomines deal. His dissertation title is "Geopolitical Turn: USA-China-Russia Rivalry and Implications for ...
China’s Maritime Research Has Military Role: Report
The government of Sri Lanka announced in early January that it is imposing a one-year ban on Chinese research vessels docking at its ports. Last year, Colombo got into a spat with India about allowing a Chinese ship to dock amid Indian fears about military surveillance.
From Promise to Practice? Analyzing China’s Overseas Energy Finance and Opportunities for a Greener Horizon
By Cecilia Springer As the world grapples with the climate crisis, China's role in financing global energy projects has come under intense scrutiny. And while China has financed significant amounts of fossil fuel energy ...
What the Past Tells Us About the Future of the BRI
There's a widely-held perception in many parts of the U.S., Europe, and India that debt and geopolitics have led to the demise of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But a landmark new study from AidData proves otherwise, revealing not only ...
Split Between Rich and Middle-Income Countries’ Opinions About China: Poll
A new Pew Research poll of 24 high and middle-income countries shows that while the U.S. has generally improved in popularity compared to China, views about the two are quite different among rich versus middle-income countries. The poll provides an interesting ...
Q&A: Chinese, and Nigerian Researchers Collaborate on Super Sub-Saharan Africa Electricity System
China's strategic investments through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) showcase its aspiration to play a role in the global energy infrastructure.
Reflections on a Summer in the United States
I'll be heading back to Vietnam this week after seven weeks in the U.S. -- the longest period I've spent in this country in almost 15 years. I'm so grateful to the hundreds of people who took the time to meet ...
Backgrounder: China’s Emerging Playbook in South Asia
China’s outsized role in two key South Asian debt crises (Sri Lanka and Pakistan) and its fractious cross-border relationship with India have overshadowed a larger trend: Beijing is increasingly becoming an adept navigator of South Asian complexities in order to grow its own influence in the region.
It’s Getting Tougher for African Students to Get a PhD in China
Thousands of African students are back in class again in China following a three-year absence due to the pandemic and Beijing's strict COVID Zero travel restrictions. But doctoral students from Africa and elsewhere are confronting ...
Debunking Propaganda in the Debate Over “Western Private Creditor” Debt in Africa
In this short piece, I will use statistical data extracted from the World Bank's online database. The figures I will use here are for Africa as a whole, i.e. sub-Saharan Africa (the one most often referred to when talking about "African" debt) and North Africa. Figures are for the ...
What’s Driving the Steady Decline in Chinese Overseas Development Lending?
There was a time when Chinese lending to developing countries rivaled the World Bank. Those days are now long gone as Chinese overseas development lending has been on a steady downward trajectory.
Why Chinese Lending to Pacific Island Countries Has Steadily Declined in Recent Years
Chinese lending to Pacific Island Countries (PICs) is now at its lowest level in 15 years, according to new data published by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute. The findings may come as a surprise, given China's heightened diplomatic and security ...