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Category: Building Diplomacy

Zimbabwe Newest Recipient of China’s Building Diplomacy

China on Thursday formally handed over Zimbabwe’s new $100 million parliament building. The six-floor, 33,000-square-meter complex was fully funded by the Chinese government and framed as “a gift to the people of Zimbabwe.” This use of buildings as a form of ...

New Foreign Ministry Annex in Ghana and a Newly Refurbished Parliament Building in Malawi Are China’s Latest “Gifts” to African Governments

Ghana's Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey was visibly excited to see what her new office will look like in the new $20 million foreign ministry annex building that will be entirely paid for by China. Botchwey was joined by the Chinese ambassador ...

Has France Just Taken a Page out of China’s Playbook?

By Lukas Fiala With great powers bickering over an impasse in the debt negotiations while reheating the ‘lab leak theory’ in the debate on the origins of COVID-19, it seems we’re once again far away from a constructive solution to some ...

With an Eye on China and Russia, Macron (Again) Tries to Reboot France’s Strategy in Africa

France needs to approach Africa with ‘profound humility’ to make up for its colonial past. This is the message from French President Emmanuel Macron, who is embarking on an African tour in part aimed at rejuvenating Paris’s engagement with a continent where its image remains shaped by its colonial ...

Massive New Chinese-financed Cultural Center Takes Shape in Kinshasa

Three years after Chinese contractors broke ground to build the new Central African Cultural and Arts Center in the DR Congo capital of Kinshasa, the 36,000-square-meter development is now taking shape. Outgoing Chinese ambassador to the DRC, Zhu Jing, 

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Chinese Foreign Minister to Lead UN Security Council Meeting on Gaza

Wang Yi, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, will chair a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting in New York on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
China, the current UNSC president, called the meeting scheduled for November 29. It comes as the two sides are looking into extending the temporary ceasefire that started last week to allow for the return of further Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.

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China’s Building Diplomacy in Africa Shows No Signs of Slowing in 2023

Add Gabon's Senate, known as Omar Bongo Ondimba Palace, to the long and growing list of African government buildings that will either be renovated or newly built using Chinese money and contractors. Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang alongside his Gabonese ...

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, ...

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 ...

Zimbabwe’s Chinese-Built Parliament Building Ready for Business

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa will formally inaugurate the country's new parliament building on Wednesday. The building was financed as a 'gift' by the Chinese government and built by Shanghai Construction Group Co. After the inauguration, Mnangagwa will deliver his annual ...