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
Kuwait Signs $4.1 Billion Deal With China to Build Port
Kuwait has signed a $4.1 billion deal with China to complete construction of a major port, as the oil-rich country seeks to diversify its economy and play a larger role in global trade. The State Audit Bureau, a government oversight body ...
U.S. Grants Loan for Strategic Angola Rail Line
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said it has agreed a loan for the refurbishment of a rail link in Angola strategic for the transport of minerals which are in high demand at American firms. In an announcement Wednesday, the ...
Panama Ports Deal Hits a Wall
The Trump administration’s efforts to lessen Chinese influence in the Panama Canal have reportedly hit an impasse. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Chinese government is demanding a majority stake for the Chinese shipping giant Cosco in a proposed deal to sell several ports to the U.S. ...
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 ...