When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...
Category: Cinturón y Ruta de la Seda
China Wins Myanmar’s Nod for Xi’s Global Plan, Seeks Closer Ties
Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said ties with China are at their strongest and pledged to deepen cooperation as the country faces political and economic pressure from major powers. Speaking to Chinese media and business representatives in ...
China’s Overseas Bullet Train: Malaysians Still Top Foreign Riders
China’s first overseas high-speed rail in Indonesia, the Whoosh bullet train, is carrying a steady flow of foreign passengers, and Malaysians continue to account for the largest share, the operator said. In less than two years since its inauguration in ...
Erdogan Pitches Closer Alignment Between Türkiye’s Middle Corridor and China’s Belt and Road
In his first visit to China in five years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed that Ankara's Middle Corridor trade route more closely align with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Middle Corridor is a Turkish-backed multi-modal trade route that ...
China’s Belt and Road Recalibration: Why Kazakhstan is the New Metals Frontier
Despite widespread expectations that China’s engagement with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries would slow, recent data tells a different story. According to a new report from the Griffith Asia Institute, Chinese involvement in the 150 BRI countries surged in the first half of 2025, reaching ...
China Talks BRI, Mining with Afghanistan, Pakistan
China invited Afghanistan to formally join its Belt and Road Initiative and would like to deepen cooperation on mining. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the Afghan capital of Kabul for talks with Taliban government leaders. He also participated in trilateral talks with Afghan and Pakistani counterparts. ...
Chinese Company Leads Africa’s First Cross-Border Standard Gauge Railway Expansion
China Railway Group Limited (CREC) is heading the construction of a new transfrontier rail line between Tanzania and Burundi. Construction of the Uvinza–Musongati line was officially inaugurated during a ceremony on Saturday. The 1,435-kilometer electrified line will provide landlocked Burundi ...
China’s Belt and Road Hits New Highs, but Latin America Lags
By Fermín Koop and Patrick Moore The first half of 2025 saw the highest engagement ever for a six-month period under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s flagship global infrastructure program, a new report has shown.
China’s Belt and Road Shatters Expectations With Record Activity
For much of the past two years, we've been told to expect a slimmer, more austere Belt and Road under the new "Small Yet Beautiful" mantra. The days of Chinese mega deals across the Global South were over... or so we ...
Plugging into African Agency
After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big ...
Chinese BRI Investments and Construction Contracts Smash New Records in the First Half of 2025
The value of Chinese investment and construction contracts in Belt and Road Initiative countries surged in the first six months of 2025 to a record $124 billion, more than what was spent for the whole of last year. The findings by
China’s Middle East Math
There was widespread disappointment in Iran that China didn't do more to help Tehran during the recent 12-day war with Israel and the United States. Beijing, for its part, offered robust rhetorical and moral support, but little else. ...
China Backed Bali MRT Goes Underground for Tradition
Bali’s first-ever subway project is moving closer to reality, with officials favoring underground tunnels over elevated tracks to respect the island’s religious and cultural landscape. The $20 billion plan is being developed in partnership with China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) ...