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: Railways
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,
China, Zambia and Tanzania Seal $1.4 Billion Deal to Modernize Tazara Railway
More than a year after a memorandum of understanding was signed in Beijing, China, Zambia and Tanzania have finalized an agreement to rehabilitate and modernize the Tazara railway. Built by China in the 1970s, the strategic line links Zambia to Tanzania and runs to the port of ...
Indonesia Prepares for Pivotal Talks on Expanding China-Financed ‘Whoosh’ High-Speed Railway
When the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, known as the Whoosh, opened in October 2023, it quickly drew scrutiny. China provided billions in loans, KCIC—the China-Indonesia joint venture operating the line—reported losses, and parent companies like the state-owned PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) absorbed significant deficits. Critics ...
China and Pakistan Agree $7 Billion Rail Consortium
China and Pakistan reportedly agreed to create a $7 billion consortium to fund a joint railway project. The announcement also saw the unveiling of a four-year action plan to advance the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major project in the Belt and Road ...
Stop Calling the Lobito Corridor a U.S. Gambit Against China
There’s a lazy but geopolitically irresistible allure in branding Angola’s Lobito Corridor as a U.S. bid to blunt China’s influence in Africa and the region’s mineral supply chains. I get why the framing sticks: it’s neat, dramatic, and easy to sell. ...
Kenya’s FM Pushes China for Fast Approval of Financial Assistance Package
Kenya's top diplomat, Musalia Mudavadi, hoped that his visit to China this week would prompt Beijing to speed up approval of a large financial package that his government is counting on to build new roads and extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Ugandan border.