Category: Development
Symbolism Galore as Qin Gang Opens Africa CDC HQ
Qin Gang’s many photo-ops in Addis Ababa included the opening ceremony of the Chinese-built Africa Centers for Disease Control Headquarters building on Wednesday. This is the latest in a series of high-profile buildings for African multilateral and government bodies built by China, ...
Will Infrastructure Boost African Growth? Maybe Not, Says Economist
The Kenyan economist David Ndii published a fascinating paper casting doubt on one of the most fundamental assumptions in Africa-China relations: that the key to boosting growth is infrastructure. Ndii, a prominent critic of the ‘first build a road’ infrastructure-focused orthodoxy, ...
New Satellite Images Show Widespread Road Building on Both Sides of the Disputed India-China Border
The Chinese and Indian militaries are building out transportation infrastructure high up in the Himalayas along their disputed border known as the Line of Actual Control, according to new satellite imagery published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. "While India maintains control ...
Chinese Contractor Signs $2.2 Billion Deal to Build Next Stage of Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway
The Tanzanian government and an unspecified Chinese contractor signed a $2.2 billion contract on Tuesday to build a 2,561km rail line from Dar es Salaam to the Lake Victoria city of Mwanza. It's important to note that even though Chinese contractors ...
Zambia’s President Hichilema Clarifies Chinese Loans’ Role in Debt Crisis
As Ghana sinks into debt distress, many are looking to Zambia’s debt restructuring process for clues on how China will feature. Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema provided a glimpse into his government’s thinking about Chinese debt at a Council on Foreign Relations event ...
Is the U.S. Comparative Advantage in Engaging with Africa Enough for U.S.-Africa Relations?
By Oyintarelado Moses The U.S. showed off its comparative advantage in engaging with Africa during the Africa and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum at last week’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. While sitting in the audience, I observed as the first African American Vice ...
Worrisome Demographic Trends in China and Africa
Africa is home to the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, creating what proponents call a "demographic dividend." Conversely, China is rapidly becoming one of the world's oldest countries thanks in part to decades of draconian family planning policies that limited most ...
Chinese-Built Cross-Frontier Hydro System Inaugurated in Mali
This weekend saw the inauguration of the Gouina Hydroelectric dam and Malinguina hydropower station in Mali. Funded by the China Exim Bank and built by PowerChina, the facilities form part of a transfrontier hydroelectric system linking Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania. ...
How the Global South Can Leverage the BRI and PGII: Competing and Complementary Infrastructure Initiatives
By Oyintarelado Moses and Keren Zhu Last month, the United States and the European Union launched new agreements under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) on the sidelines of the G20 meeting and the European Commission announced the Global Gateway’s (GG) ...
Buhari Lays Cornerstone For Chinese-financed ECOWAS Headquarters in Nigeria
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari led a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Chinese-financed headquarters of the West African regional organization ECOWAS. The new $32 million facility will be entirely paid for by the Chinese government and mostly built by Chinese ...
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 2.0 — A New Risk Management Strategy
By Saniya Kulkarni With all eyes on Beijing’s response to the ongoing protests in China, it appears Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is making headway in mitigating growing unrest in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The resource-rich region is home to ...
EU’s Answer to China’s BRI Takes Shape in Africa
The European Union unveiled a $776 million infrastructure financing package for Africa on Tuesday as part of its Global Gateway initiative that is aimed at challenging China's growing influence in developing regions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ...