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 projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...
Category: Conflict
China Says ‘Shocked’ by Israel Strike on Gaza Hospital
China said on Tuesday it was "shocked" by an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital in which five journalists were among at least 20 people killed. "We are shocked and condemn the fact that medical personnel and journalists have once again ...
From Estrangement to Reassessment? Israeli Media and Expert Views on China After the Twelve-Day War
By Amanda Chen Building on our previous analysis of China’s official position and expert debate on the Iran–Israel War, this edition of the ChinaMed Observer examines how the conflict has shaped Israeli analysts’ perceptions of China’s role in the Middle East. Even prior to ...
China Slams Vietnam Over Island-Building in South China Sea
China condemned Vietnam over a report it had sped up island-building in an area of the disputed South China Sea that Beijing claims as its own. "China firmly opposes the relevant country’s construction activities on islands and reefs they have illegally ...
China Looms as Australian and Philippines Defense Ministers Meet
China’s growing presence in the South China Sea is drawing U.S. allies closer. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles met Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Manila on Friday. The two signed a pledge to expand defense cooperation and improve military readiness.
China Tells U.S. to Restrain Forces Near Shoal in South China Sea
China condemned the U.S. after a naval vessel, USS Higgins, sailed near Scarborough Shoal just days after a China–Philippines at-sea pursuit. Beijing is calling the U.S. move an illegal intrusion and warning Washington to “restrain” its forces. The U.S. Navy ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
South China Sea Naval Collision: Beijing and Manila Trade Blame
China has accused the Philippines of “dangerous maneuvers” during a tense encounter near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea earlier this week that, according to Manila, led to a collision between two Chinese government vessels. Beijing has not publicly ...
China Offers Help in Thai-Cambodia Row as Ministers Meet
Beijing offered to help Thailand and Cambodia patch up relations on Thursday after their deadliest border clashes in decades, as their foreign ministers met for talks in China. A long-running border row between the Southeast Asian neighbors boiled over into conflict ...
China Backs Thailand-Cambodia Reconciliation, Eyes Investment
China fully backs Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their longstanding border dispute, offering assistance at the request of both nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. Speaking at the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Yunnan province,
Tensions Surge in the South China Sea as PLA Confronts U.S., Philippines Presence
Chinese warships and fighter jets were out in force on Wednesday near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in a bid to push out a pair of U.S. warships and a Philippine Coast Guard surveillance plane flying overhead. ...
Rare U.S., China Alignment Over Designation of Pakistani Separatist Group as “Terrorists”
The U.S. announced this week that it would designate the Pakistani separatist militant group The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its affiliate The Majeed Brigade as a terrorist organizations. The move was well-received in Beijing. Monday's decision by the State ...
U.S. Designation of Baloch Militants Deals Blow to India, Secures Chinese Projects in Pakistan, Chinese Commentator Says
On August 11, the U.S. State Department announced it was designating the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) effective immediately, while also listing the Majeed Brigade as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group (SDGT). ...
Marcos Says Philippines Would Be Dragged ‘Kicking and Screaming’ Into Taiwan War
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos warned Monday that his country would be dragged "kicking and screaming" into any war over Taiwan, but must prepare for it. China considers self-ruled Taiwan, Manila's closest neighbor to the north, to be part of its territory ...