Small State, Big Gains: Why Dominica Matters in China’s Global Strategy

In contemporary international relations, the diplomacy of small states is of utmost importance. Though grand geopolitical narratives often overshadow this fact, one major power has not forgotten: China. Putting aside its broader strategic objectives, Beijing has excelled in small-state diplomacy. The numbers don’t lie; China has the ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

BRICS Announces Numerous New Initiatives

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 ...

Western Aid Cuts Cede Ground to China in Southeast Asia: Study

China is poised to expand its influence over Southeast Asia's development as the Trump administration and other Western donors reduce aid, a study by an Australian think tank said on Sunday. The region is in an "uncertain moment", facing cuts in ...

Eyes Turn to China as the West Steps Back From Development

By Tim Hirschel-Burns With the notable exception of the United States, all other 192 members of the United Nations agreed on an agenda for financing the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). In important respects, the agreement on the

The Evolution of China-Africa Research and Where It’s Headed

A new generation of scholars is reshaping China-Africa research. More geographically diverse and digitally fluent than the field’s early pioneers of the 2000s, this cohort brings fresh perspectives and tools to the study of China’s engagement on the continent.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Trump’s New Tariff Threat Hits Asia, Africa, Global Stocks

U.S. President Donald Trump posted a letter on social media on Wednesday saying he intends to impose a 50% tariff on "any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States" from August 1. Unlike his other tariff letters, this one specified that the levy is in response ...

Power, Policy, and Partnership: Mapping China-Azerbaijan Energy Ties

As Azerbaijan accelerates its transition toward renewable energy, Beijing’s clean energy ambitions are finding fertile ground. The country aims to nearly double its installed power generation capacity by 2030—targeting 6.5 GW of combined solar, wind, and hydropower—with renewables expected to make up at least 30 percent of ...

New Chinese Development Funding for Southern Africa

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) signed a $293 million loan facility agreement with China Development Bank. The funding will support energy, infrastructure, water, health, and manufacturing projects on the continent. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil earlier this ...

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 ...

Emirates Launches New Service to Shenzhen, First New Route to China in Nearly a Decade

Emirates, the flagship carrier of the United Arab Emirates, last week began daily service between Dubai and Shenzhen, the southern Chinese technology hub. The route marks the airline’s first new destination in China in nearly a decade. Next month, Emirates is ...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Modi’s Tour Targets Critical Minerals Diversification and Lessen Dependence on China

The Trump administration has reportedly suspended a regulation that compelled companies to seek government licenses to sell chip design software to China. The U.S. Commerce Department reportedly informed three key providers of chip design software – Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, and Siemens – that government licenses to do ...

In China, Ecuador’s Noboa Looks for Breathing Room and Bargains

With a tightening fiscal clock and the weight of geopolitical balancing on his shoulders, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa touched down in China last week with more than just a forum appearance on his agenda. His trip to the 2025 Summer Davos Forum in Tianjin doubled as a ...

Egypt, China Sign Big Chemical Factory Deal

Egypt has signed a deal with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and East China Engineering Science and Technology Co. for a $658 million industrial complex that will focus on the production of phosphoric acid. The plant will use locally extracted phosphate ore.

A Peer-to-Peer Pivot in China’s Overseas Development Finance

By Rebecca Ray In 2024, China extended $6.1 billion in 20 commitments in public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) loans, according to a new update to the China’s Overseas Development Finance (CODF) Database managed by the Boston University Global Development Policy ...
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