The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: China-Africa
A Display of Power, Not Partnership, in Washington
This is a is a long overdue column that I intended to write back in March after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa left Washington after that now infamous joint press conference in the Oval Office where he was ambushed by U.S. President Donald Trump for challenging the ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Chinese Premier’s Visit Signals Deepening Relationship with Egypt
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Egypt on Wednesday for a two-day state visit, the newest sign of the deepening relationship between the two countries. Li was received by Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and in an address shortly after ...
South Africa Should be Wary of China’s Zero-Tariff Offer, Warns Top Agricultural Expert
South African farmers are among those who stand to benefit the most from China's new proposal to remove tariffs on exports from 53 African countries. China sources just 0.4% of its agriculture from South Africa, a figure that is widely expected ...
Wang Yi Conducts Speed Diplomacy With Nine African Foreign Ministers
China's top diplomat Wang Yi conducted another one of his signature rounds of speed diplomacy with foreign ministers from at least nine African countries on the sidelines of a ministerial gathering this week in central Hunan province. Specific details of the ...
Africa Now Has Duty-Free Access to the China Market, Now What?
Last year, in January, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni called on China to do more to open its vast market to African goods by removing trade tariffs for the entire continent. This week, Museveni got what he asked for when China removed ...
In a Swipe at the U.S., China Removes Tariffs for Nearly Every African Country
China will remove all trade tariffs on imported goods from 53 African countries in a move that starkly contrasts with U.S. President Donald Trump's pro-tariff agenda. Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced the policy on Wednesday at the conclusion of a gathering ...
Model Meets Reality: The Africa–China Export Forecast That Delivered
In an era where economic uncertainty often renders forecasts obsolete before they materialize, Africa’s export performance to China between 2022 and 2026 stands out as a compelling exception. Projections that I made together with Professor Reon Matemane, an associate professor at the University of Pretoria, in ...
Ruto’s Beijing Visit Emphasizes Development, Jobs
Kenyan President William Ruto said his country wants to deepen its cooperation with China in order to boost its modernization drive. This alignment with the Chinese official language is arguably an early sign of the geopolitical significance of the visit. Ruto is the first African leader to visit China ...
Stanbic Bank Kenya Unveils New Measures to Boost Trade With China
Stanbic Bank Kenya, a subsidiary of Standard Bank — Africa's largest bank by assets, announced a series of initiatives aimed at fostering closer commercial ties between Kenya and China. Among the key announcements at the Chinese Economic Forum held ...
South Africa’s Active Yet Unequal Trade With China
From afar, the China-South Africa trade relationship looks amazing. Last year, the two countries sold more than $52 billion worth of goods to one another — mostly raw materials from South Africa and finished goods from China.
CGTN to Expand African Operations
China’s state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN) will allocate resources to expand its operations across Africa. The funding boost will expand coverage across the continent’s five regions, said Cao Ri, CGTN’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief, at a press conference in Beijing. The expansion ...
A Taste of Tradition in Nairobi’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant Without Chinese Chefs
It’s lunchtime in Nairobi, and the city buzzes with energy. I arrive at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC), a landmark in the heart of the City in the Sun. But today, I’m not here for a conference or a meeting—I’ve ...
Chinese EVs Gaining Ground in South Africa Despite Hybrids Popularity
Chinese EVs' entry into South Africa is challenging the status quo with brands like Haval, Cherry, Omoda, and Jaecoo becoming a common sight in Gauteng, South Africa’s wealthiest province that includes Johannesburg. But, a survey by AutoTrader, an online ...