Category: Diplomacy>South America

Bolivia Risks Debt Default Without New Funding, Says President

Bolivia, battling an economic crisis that has plunged it into social unrest, risks defaulting on its loan payments if it does not obtain new foreign financing, President Luis Arce told AFP on Wednesday. "We are trying not to default. We have ...

BYD’s Brazil Scandal Sparks Rare Self-Reflection in China

When news broke that Chinese automaker BYD was being sued in Brazil for labor violations involving over 220 Chinese workers, the reaction on Chinese social media was swift and defensive. Conspiracy theories surged—some claimed Brazilian workers were jealous, others blamed foreign interference, and a few pointed ...

Guerrilla-Turned-Filmmaker: Colombia’s Versatile Envoy in Beijing

Colombia's ambassador to China first arrived in Beijing six decades ago and trained under Mao Zedong's revolutionary forces, before returning home to join a communist guerrilla group. Sergio Cabrera then made a name for himself as an acclaimed filmmaker, and now ...

Brazil Sues China’s BYD Over ‘Slavery’ Conditions on Build Site

Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric car giant BYD and two contracting companies for human trafficking and alleged slave labor conditions at a build site, according to legal documents seen by AFP Thursday. The case concerns 220 Chinese workers found last ...

China Not Trying to ‘Replace’ U.S. in Colombia: Ambassador

China is not seeking to "replace" the United States as the top trading partner of Colombia, Beijing's ambassador to Bogota, whose president has announced a pivot to China, told AFP on Tuesday. Until recently Colombia was one of the United States' ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

China-Led Study Proposes Global Energy Network

A globally connected network of solar and wind energy could provide three times the global energy demand by 2050 at a lower cost than independent national power systems. This is the finding of a study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in collaboration with researchers from the United States and Denmark.

The study focused on how areas with high solar and wind capacity (such as deserts) can be linked to ...

China, EU Suspend Brazil Chicken Imports Over Bird Flu

China and the European Union have suspended imports of chicken meat from Brazil, the world's biggest exporter of the commodity, after an outbreak of bird flu on a farm in the South American country, officials said Friday. China is the main importer ...

Colombia Joins Belt and Road Initiative as China Courts Latin America

By Peter Catterall Colombia formally agreed on Wednesday to join China's vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, as Beijing draws Latin America closer in a bid to counter the United States. Latin America has emerged ...

Brazil’s Lula to Visit China Ahead of Regional Summit

Brazil's president will begin a five-day trip to China on Saturday, Beijing announced, ahead of a gathering of Latin American leaders in the country next week. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's state visit comes at the invitation of counterpart President Xi ...

Colombia Moves to Join China’s Belt and Road

By Lina Vanegas Colombia's president on Tuesday said he intends to sign an accord to join Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative during an upcoming China trip, a move sure to damage already frayed relations with Washington.