From Silence to Deflection: How China’s Internet Framed Thailand’s Deadly Train Accident

When a crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Thailand, killing dozens, the tragedy quickly became a major topic on Chinese social media. Discussion was not absent, but it followed a clear and defensive pattern, one that worked less to examine responsibility than to preempt ...

Thailand Train Accident Kills 28 at China-Backed Project

By Montira Rungjirajittranon and Pasika Khernamnuoy A crane at a China-backed high-speed rail project in Thailand collapsed onto a passenger train on Wednesday and caused it to derail, killing at least 28 people and injuring dozens more, authorities said.

China–Vietnam Rail Freight Volume Hits Record in 2025

China’s rail operator said freight trains departing the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for Vietnam carried a record 37,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo in 2025, an increase of 86% from a year earlier. The Nanning Railway Logistics Centre said demand ...

China’s High-Speed Rail Network Passes 50,000 km With New Line

China’s high-speed rail network has crossed 50,000 kilometers of operating track, state media reported, with authorities opening a new line linking Xi’an and Yan’an in northwestern China on Friday. China marked the milestone by launching the Xi’an–Yan’an high-speed route in ...

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 ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

2026: Africa-China Relations in a World Shaped by North-South Geopolitics

When talking about Africa–China relations, one is always moving along a sliding scale. There are myriad interactions with Chinese entities that concern only individual African countries, segueing into trends affecting the whole continent and sliding further into global dynamics shaping the developing world, of which Africa is the heart.

The Africa-China relationship is its own thing, but Africa’s fate can’t easily be separated from factors affecting the wider Global South, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.

China Signals Support for Indonesia HSR; Debt Under Review

China said it is ready to help keep Indonesia’s Jakarta–Bandung high-speed line running smoothly as Jakarta opens talks to restructure project loans. In Beijing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasize that when evaluating high-speed rail projects, Indonesia and China ...

Indonesia Weighs Dual Strategies With China to Keep Whoosh High-Speed Rail on Track

Indonesia and China are negotiating with China’s economic planner, the NDRC, to address a funding shortfall for the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail project, known as "Whoosh." The gap emerged after costs rose by about $1.2 billion, while ticket sales fell short of loan payments.

Kenya’s China Debt Deal Challenges Old Narratives

Kenya and China have reached a groundbreaking agreement to restructure $3.5 billion in railway loans, converting them from U.S. dollars into Chinese yuan. The move could save Kenya $215 million in debt servicing costs and marks the first time an African ...

After Kenya Secures Landmark Railway Debt Deal With China, Indonesia Eyes a Similar Renegotiation

Indonesia's Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani confirmed on Wednesday that talks are underway with Chinese creditors to restructure the $7.3 billion of debt owed by the Sino-Indonesian joint venture that operates the Whoosh high-speed railway. Although the train has been popular with travelers, 
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