After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...
Category: Politics
Solomon Islands Says China Not Influencing Diplomatic Decisions
By Ben Strang Solomon Islands defended its move to bar some partners from an influential summit of South Pacific leaders, brushing aside claims on Thursday of a looming split or that China is influencing its decisions.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Says ‘Outsiders’ Meddling in Regional Summit
By Ben Strang New Zealand's foreign minister said Thursday that foreign influence was threatening to split an upcoming annual summit of South Pacific leaders. Foreign Minister Winston Peters sounded the warning as the region's top ...
Xi Says China, Brazil Can Model ‘Self-Reliance’ for Global South
China's President Xi Jinping told his Brazilian counterpart Tuesday the two countries could set an example of "self-reliance" for emerging powers, as trade and geopolitical challenges mount. The two leaders have both sought in recent months to present their countries as ...
U.S. Senator Seeks Review of Kenya’s ‘Major Non-NATO Ally’ Status, Citing China Ties
One of Washington's most powerful lawmakers is calling for the State Department to review Kenya's status as a Major Non-NATO Ally in response to Nairobi's close ties with China. U.S. Republican Senator James Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
Chinese Communist Party’s Top Diplomat Detained for Questioning: WSJ
The Chinese Communist Party's most senior foreign policy official, Liu Jianchao, is reportedly being detained for questioning by authorities, according to the Wall Street Journal. The investigation marks the latest turmoil at the highest ranks of the Chinese national security leadership, ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Senior Chinese Diplomat Liu Jianchao Taken in for Questioning: WSJ
A senior Chinese diplomat considered a contender for future foreign minister has been detained by authorities for questioning, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Liu Jianchao, head of a department under the ruling Communist Party that oversees relations with foreign ...
Xi Tells Putin China Glad to See Improved U.S.-Russia Relations
President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in a phone call on Friday that China was pleased to see Moscow and Washington improving their relations, state media said. Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to hold talks ...
What Would a Grand Bargain Between China and the U.S. Mean for the Rest of Us?
The prevailing view among Chinese intellectuals is that U.S.-China strategic rivalry is structural and enduring. Yan Yilong, for instance, describes the competition as “not merely a disagreement between two sovereign states” but a “structural conflict between the great rejuvenation of ...
Amid Fuel Shortages, Cuba Looks to China for Energy Solutions
Cuba is in the middle of a profound energy crisis — and China sees an opening. As Havana struggles with crumbling infrastructure, dwindling oil imports, and a decades-long economic downturn, Beijing is stepping in to fill the void left by its traditional allies, Russia and Venezuela. The ...
U.S. Agrees Trade Deal with Philippines Amid Geopolitical Tension
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social account that the United States will impose 19% tariffs on the Philippines, slightly reduced from the 20% he threatened earlier. The U.S. will have tariff-free access to the Philippine market.
Disorder as Strategy at the Gate of Tears
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 In the latest vignette of maritime theater off Yemen’s coast, a Chinese frigate decided to dazzle a German surveillance plane with a military-grade laser, forcing it to turn tail and return to Djibouti. Berlin is ...
‘Dialogue’ Must Be at Heart of China, Australia Ties, PM Tells Xi
By Sam Davies with Steven Trask in Sydney "Dialogue" must be at the heart of ties between Canberra and Beijing, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday as he met President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital. ...