Together China and the DRC Led the Way for Record Cobalt Output in 2021

Strong consumer demand for electric vehicles propelled a 20% increase in global cobalt output last year to a record 170,000 tons, according to new data from the U.S. Geological Survey. This means that together, China ...

The New Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway is Not Yet Done and Already It’s Transformed the Landscape of the Capital

The new Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway is just a few short weeks away from opening to the public but already the highway has transformed the landscape of the Kenyan capital. The $646 million, 27.1-kilometer toll road slices ...

The BRI Challenges Our Assumptions of How the World Fits Together 

A fascinating new report emerged from the Green Financing and Development Center at Fudan University in Shanghai this week, tracking trends in China’s Belt and Road investment. The big news is that while global BRI spending (both foreign direct investment and loans) has remained stable at roughly ...

The Future of Chinese Infrastructure Finance in Africa

Nigerian Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi acknowledged this week that he will no longer rely on China to fund two major railways and will have now have to look elsewhere for the money. The minister's comments shouldn't come as a big ...

Nigeria’s Transport Minister Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud: China’s No Longer Funding Large-Scale Railways in Africa

Nigerian Transportation Minister and likely presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, publicly acknowledged what's been widely known: that China is no longer in the business of financing massive, multi-billion railway projects in Nigeria. “We are stuck with lots of our projects because we ...

Chinese Media Claims More Than a Million Passengers Have Used the New Chinese-Built Railway in Laos

According to Chinese state media, the new Chinese-built and funded railway between China and Laos, which was launched two months ago, is a huge success already. Rail authorities in China's southwestern Yunnan province report that in the short time that it's been in operation, the railway's transported ...

Kenya’s ICT Minister is Now The Third High-Ranking Official to Defend the Government’s Refusal to Publicize SGR Contract

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Informations, Communications Technology Joe Mucheru spent almost an hour on Spice FM's national radio and television morning broadcast on Wednesday touting the accomplishments of President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration in promoting transparency in government. Mucheru strenuously pushed back ...

How This One Tweet Conveys Three Important China-Africa Trends

A Tweet on Wednesday by China's top diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, Wu Peng, about yet another ground-breaking ceremony for a new school in Africa, this time in Ivory Coast, may seem mundane but it actually communicates three important trends in Africa-China relations:

Contrasting U.S. and Liberian Views on the Role of Chinese Lending in African

There's been a noticeable increase this year in the frequency of seminars (off and online) in the United States about the Belt and Road and China's role in Africa in particular. Generally speaking, the consensus among the participants, particularly those from the U.S., is quite negative towards ...

Construction of an Important Sino-Nigerian Infrastructure Experiment is Almost Finished, Says Transportation Minister

Nigeria's Transportation Minister (and likely presidential candidate) Rotimi Amaechi conducted a site visit on Saturday of the massive Lekki Deep Seaport project in Lagos where he said construction is now 80% finished. He added that he's expecting Chinese contractors to finish ...

Kenya’s SGR Scandal Isn’t Going Away

This week saw the announcement that the United Kingdom’s international development investment arm, the CDC Group, will invest $1 billion in Kenyan infrastructure. This will include funding a new rail transit hub in Nairobi. It’s interesting that the UK is leaning into ...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Three Chinese Warships Head to Gulf of Aden For Anti-Piracy Mission

Three Chinese warships left Guangdong on Saturday and are now making their way to the Gulf of Aden to take part in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. However, the key question is how long they'll stay. After 14 years, the Somali government now appears to have ...
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