The U.S. Wants to be Very Clear That It, Not China, is the World’s Largest Provider of Humanitarian Aid

Amid headlines of Jack Ma's donation of COVID-19 PPE in Africa and a steady stream of news stories characterizing the U.S. as going "AWOL" in the fight against the global pandemic, the U.S. Department of State wants to remind everyone that America remains ...

China Ramps Up “Mask Diplomacy” in Africa 

The Chinese government appears to be taking full advantage of the country's newfound ability to produce extraordinary amounts of masks and other COVID-19 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and using that gear to advance its diplomatic agenda in Africa and other regions around the world. ...

African Futurist Jakkie Cilliers Looks Beyond Today’s COVID-19 Crisis

“African economies are staring at an abyss,” said Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed earlier this week in a desperate appeal to the international community for aid and debt relief to offset the ruinous effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

DRC President’s Refusal to Wear Mask in Meeting With Chinese Ambassador Sparks Concern

China's ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo met with President Félix Tshisekedi yesterday in Kinshasa and while they did maintain a proper distance from one another, the president's refusal to wear a mask prompted concern among Congolese Twitter users. ...

Ethiopian PM Abiy Puts Debt Relief on the COVID-19 Agenda. Now the Multi-Billion Dollar Question is How Will China Respond?

Confronted with an "existential threat," Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed issued an urgent plea to G20 countries for immediate debt relief. The "dramatic decline in exports, disruption of global chains, and the sudden drying up of travel of tourism are sure to wreak havoc to our economies," 

China’s Former Ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, is Officially Gone

Despite his reputation as brash, outspoken and confrontational, Lin Songtian, the former Chinese ambassador to South Africa, quietly left the country on Monday.  His sudden departure is a bit surprising given the enormous role he played in shaping ...

Lin Songtian, China’s Brash Former Ambassador to South Africa Suddenly Returns Home

China’s most outspoken ambassador in Africa, Lin Songtian, abruptly left his post in South Africa yesterday just a few days after news had broke that he had been ordered back to China. Lin published ...

U.S. Conservative Media Now Fully Enraged About China’s Former Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian… And Maybe That’s All Part of the Plan

China's outspoken, charismatic ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, is reportedly preparing to leave the country today, according to a report by journalist Peter Fabricius in the Daily Maverick. In the report, Fabricius insinuated that ...

Chinese Embassy in Botswana Uses Facebook to Slam U.S. Over Failure to Deliver COVID-19 Donation

The Chinese embassy in Botswana has joined the growing chorus of Chinese diplomatic social media accounts in escalating anti-U.S. rhetoric. In a strongly-worded post published on the embassy's Facebook page, the mission alleged that none of the funds promised by the United States were ever sent to ...

COVID-19: A Breakthrough Moment for China’s Soft Power in Africa

After months of waiting anxiously, reports of the COVID-19 virus spreading across is now a daily occurrence. As of today, there are 1198 confirmed cases in 41 African countries. Most of Africa's 1.3 billion people live in ...

Context Matters: No Matter How Much Good Press China’s Getting Over its COVID-19 Relief Efforts, the U.S. Far Outspends the Chinese in African Public Health

Popular Nigerian political commentator Onye Nkuzi (nom de plume) reminded his 155,000+ followers on Twitter that while China may be getting a lot of attention for its recent COVID-19 relief efforts, it's the United States that remains the dominant public health donor in ...

Why Jack Ma’s Donation is the Knock-Out Punch in the U.S.-China Soft Power Fight Over COVID-19 in Africa

Leaders across Africa, from Ethiopia to Rwanda, took to Twitter this weekend to express their appreciation to Chinese philanthropist Jack Ma for his massive donation of supplies to each African country in the fight to contain the spread of ...
Page 350 of 3771349350351377