Category: Development
The Blurry Lines Between Chinese Aid and Investment in Africa
For most countries, aid and investment are two entirely different things. Not with the Chinese, though, where until recently the country's aid programs were actually managed through the Ministry of Commerce. Because the Chinese have ...
Chinese Loans in Africa: Debt or Latent Aid?
China’s lending to developing countries often comes as part of massive financial packages for mega-projects. Debt sustainability comes into question for both parties involved. Some critics warn of debt traps where China is jockeying for political influence and ownership, while other ...
Lingan University in Hong Kong to Offer Graduate Degree in China-Africa Studies
Lingan University in Hong Kong will offer one of the world's first graduate degrees in China-Africa studies. This one year program starts in the 2020 academic year and will be embedded within the international relations and feature a concentration in China-Africa studies.
The Optics of Gratitude in Africa
This week we interviewed Miriam Driessen for an upcoming episode of the China in Africa Podcast about her fascinating new book Tales of Hope, Tastes of Bitterness: Chinese Road Builders in Ethiopia. Driessen is an anthropologist and spent years interviewing the Chinese workers employed on massive ...
Understanding China’s Belt and Road Infrastructure Projects in Africa
David Dollar, senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, challenges a number of the prevailing themes common in US and European capitals about China's Belt and Road Initiative. In his paper, published on the Brookings website, Dollar addresses ...
China’s Ambassador to Ghana Celebrates Burgeoning Trade Ties but Also Reveals a Key Problem
Chinese diplomats across Africa have been unusually visible in recent days as part of an effort to raise awareness about what will likely be the world's largest birthday party later this week (October 1) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the modern Chinese state ...
Chinese Company Bids to Buy One of East Africa’s Largest Cement Companies
Chinese building materials manufacturer Huaxin Cement Company is bidding to buy ARM Cement’s Tanzania subsidiary, Maweni Limestone Ltd., for $116 million, according to a report in Construction Kenya. The deal, still subject to regulatory approval, highlights a key trend ...
Financing the Future of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa
The London-based think tank Overseas Development Institute convened a panel discussion this week to explore how China plans to finance future development along its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This discussion is particularly timely given that a slowing economy back home is being credited for
From the Soil: How One Chinese Village Cut Poverty through… Flowers?
Hannah Ryder, CEO Development Reimagined explores how one village in China, that initially grew just one crop, has cut poverty in just a decade… but will it last? Can the same be done elsewhere? Watch her vlog to find out!
Sinohydro Stops Work on Zambia Hydroelectric Dam
Citing "difficulties beyond its control" (translation: they haven't been paid), China’s state-owned Sinohydro has stopped work building the 750mw Kafue Gorge hydroelectric dam in Zambia, dealing a major blow for the country's drive for energy self-sufficiency and the livelihoods of thousands of workers on the project.
The Kenyan Government is Forcing Transport Companies to Use the SGR
Cargo Transporters in Kenya oppose move by the government making it compulsory for cargo transported by the SGR #KTNBusiness #KTNBusinessToday pic.twitter.com/eHlSEaDf9K — ktn (@KTNKenya) September 23, 2019
Rwanda Attracting More Chinese & HK Apparel Investment
It's interesting how two African land-locked countries are emerging as the continent's leading destination for Asian apparel makers looking to offshore, or "delocalize" their China manufacturing operations. Both Ethiopia and Rwanda are emerging as the leaders in this sector despite the fact that transportation logistics in each ...