The Philippine coastguard called on its country’s fishing fleets to keep operating around the Scarborough Shoal (known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Dao in China) despite the large Chinese presence in the disputed South China Sea area.
Coastguard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said while Philippine government vessels can’t maintain a constant presence, they are committed to protecting the country’s fishing rights in what it sees as its Exclusive Economic Zone.
Category: Governance
China Calls for Africa-Focused Reform of the UN Security Council
On Wednesday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an expansive statement titled “Proposal of the People's Republic of China on the Reform and Development of Global Governance.” According to FM spokesperson Mao Ning, the timing is aimed at informing discussions ...
New Kenyan Government Releases Controversial Chinese Loan Agreements For Standard Gauge Railway
Kenya's new Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, rocked the political establishment in Nairobi over the weekend when he released the first details about the controversial multi-billion dollar loan from China to build the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
Deportation Lapses Revealed in Ghana’s Illegal Mining Scandal
New revelations about how En (Aisha) Huang, Ghana’s so-called Queen of Galamsey (illegal small-scale gold mining), managed to make her way back to the country despite being deported are adding political heat to an already red-hot controversy. A ...
China and the Future of Environmental Governance in Ghana
Ghana's worsening economic crisis is prompting concerns it will further erode the country's already weak environmental governance system that Chinese actors have profited from in the mining, fishing, and timber sectors. Meantime, local communities across the country suffer amid declining fish ...
Liberia’s House of Reps Blocks Controversial Chinese Mining Deal
A fascinating political struggle is playing out in Liberia over a controversial 25-year iron ore deal with Chinese company BAO Chico. Last week, the Senate ratified the deal in what critics contend was effectively a rubber stamp decision after only minimal discussion and no expert ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Philippine Fishing Fleets Urged to Maintain Presence at Disputed Shoal as Tensions Build
World Bank Chief David Malpass on Debt Transparency and the Challenges of Working With the Chinese
World Bank President David Malpass pushed back against the suggestion that China engages in predatory lending to developing countries and instead described the lack of transparency in working with China as a "challenge." Malpass made the comments during an interview on Sunday with CBS Face the Nation ...
Should Chinese Nationals Help Supervise Mining Activities in the DRC? A Military Governor Thinks So, But Kinshasa Says Otherwise
The Vice Minister of Mines in the DR Congo, Godard Motemona, declared that the appointment of three Chinese nationals to help supervise Chinese mining activities in the far eastern province of Ituri is "null and void." The ...
The Case For Better African Governance in Managing Chinese Development Projects
There's been mounting criticism of Chinese development projects in Africa by both political and civil society actors in response to rising debt levels, environmental degradation, and the maltreatment of local workers by Chinese managers. While many put the burden of responsibility ...
African Borrowers Need to Wake Up to the Reality of Chinese Loans
Chinese lending to developing countries has come under sharp focus since the release of several reports that have reshaped the debate. Unsurprisingly, many news reports, like the BBC’s “China: Big spender or loan shark” are ringing the alarm bells. However, I’d argue that the reports should rather prompt new ...
While Sinohydro’s Road Work Maybe Progressing Slowly in Ghana, Government Supporters Insist Progress is Being Made
Government supporters published videos on social media this weekend to push back against the narrative that progress isn't being made as part of the $2 billion Sinohydro-bauxite deal. Also, last month, the news site Graphic Online ...