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: Infrastructure
Nepal Charges Chinese Company with Corruption
An anti-corruption body in Nepal charged 55 people, including five ex-ministers, with corruption. They are accused of colluding with China CAMC Engineering Co., a subsidiary of the state-owned corporation Sinomach, in corruption related to an airport tender. The body ...
Beijing Court Orders Compensation for Eight MH370 Passengers
A Beijing court has ordered compensation for some families of Chinese passengers who vanished on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The rulings are the first clear decisions in lawsuits that have dragged on for nearly 12 years. The Chaoyang District People’s ...
Iran and Türkiye Agree on Joint Construction of Cross-Continental Rail Line
Iran and Türkiye have agreed to cooperate on building a rail line that will connect to a Eurasian logistics network connecting China and Europe. On Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan at a ...
Why the Myanmar Side of the China–Myanmar Railway Can’t Move Forward
In 2022, China opened a new railway between Dali and Baoshan in Yunnan. It was meant to be the first step of a much bigger vision: a rail line running across Myanmar to the deep-sea port of Kyaukpyu, giving China’s southwest a direct outlet to the Indian ...
Why Argentina Is Turning to China’s Natural-Gas Buses in an Age of EV
Argentina recently committed $45 million to purchase 150 natural-gas buses from China’s King Long, a move that may seem counterintuitive to readers accustomed to seeing Latin American cities embrace full electrification. But an article on a WeChat public account focused on Latin America’s economy explains that ...
Kenya Launches $1.5 Billion Road Project With Chinese Firms
Kenya on Friday launched a $1.5 billion road expansion project financed by Chinese firms, including a state-owned company. Beijing is among Kenya's top five development lenders, with Nairobi owing China some $4.7 billion, according to official 2025 data. ...
China Likely to Bid on Building New Panama Canal Ports
China is among parties interested in bidding to build two new ports on the Panama Canal, its administrator said Tuesday, despite U.S. talk of retaking control of the vital trade route. U.S. President Donald Trump made the threat earlier this year, ...
How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build Influence in Africa
China has funded, designed, and built more than 200 government buildings across Africa, including the headquarters of the African Union and Ecowas, foreign ministry annexes in Ghana and Kenya, and at least 15 national parliaments. ...
China, Zambia Kick-Start Revamp of Mineral Railway
China and Zambia launched on Thursday a $1.4 billion project to modernize a railway line that will transport minerals from the copper-rich southern African country to Indian Ocean ports for export. The upgrade comes as the United States and other partners ...
China Electric Heavy Trucks Surge as Diesel and LNG Demand Slide
China’s shift to electric heavy trucks is moving faster than expected, with diesel demand slipping and hopes for a long LNG trucking boom fading. Electric trucks made up 22% of new heavy-duty sales in the first half of 2025, up ...
China’s BYD Targets 1.6 Million Overseas Sales in 2026
China's BYD 2026 target aims to sell 1.5 million to 1.6 million vehicles outside China in 2026. The number is up from a projected 900,000 to 1 million in 2025, Citi said Tuesday after meetings with company management. Citi ...
Indonesia to Renegotiate China Rail Loan, 5.1m Riders This Year
Indonesia’s Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail “Whoosh” carried 5.1 million passengers in January–October 2025, 6.3% more than a year earlier. The record lifts total ridership to more than 12.2 million since it opened on Oct. 17, 2023, the operator PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) said.