Category: Manufacturing

China Manufacturing Shrinks in June Despite Trade War Respite

China's manufacturing activity ticked up in June but remained in contraction territory, official data showed on Monday, as the truce in its trade war with the United States held. The Purchasing Managers' Index -- a key measure of industrial output -- ...

Can Africa Move Up the Critical Mineral Value Chain? The Hard Truth Behind a Familiar Chorus

As China opens its doors wider to African exports, extending duty-free market access to all 53 diplomatic partners on the continent, the announcement was met with applause in ministerial corridors from Nairobi to Niamey. For many, the new policy represents another chance for Africa to claim ...

Critical Mineral Resource Nationalism: What It Means for China and the Global South

Driven by the accelerating global energy transition, resource-rich countries are actively asserting greater control over their critical minerals—lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earths—through a policy shift known as resource nationalism. While the framing of resource nationalism came from global north countries that dislike policies by ...

Ignoring China Won’t Help African Countries Move up the Critical Mineral Value Chain

Last week, African mining ministers and global leaders gathered in Paris to discuss the continent’s role in the future of critical minerals and responsible sourcing. At the OECD’s High-Level Dialogue on Africa, one message came through loud and clear: Africa must move beyond simply exporting raw ...

The Fate of China’s Global Supply Chains in the New Tariff Era

With new tariff threats from the Trump administration and rising tensions across key markets, companies and governments alike are scrambling to understand what decoupling—or de-risking—actually looks like in practice. From electronics and apparel to solar panels and electric vehicles, China’s ...

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 Manufacturing Activity Grows for Second Straight Month

China's manufacturing activity grew in March for the second month in a row, official data showed Monday, as the world's second-largest economy fights to climb out of a prolonged slump. Authorities have looked in recent months to revive confidence in the ...

China’s Investment in Cambodia Surges, Deepening Ties but Raising Dependence Questions

China now accounts for nearly 80% of Cambodia’s total investment capital as of the first two months of 2025, underscoring Beijing’s deepening economic footprint. Special Economic Zones SEZs have been crucial in attracting Chinese investors, reflecting a ...

China’s Export Boom Is Squeezing Middle-Income Asia

By Ian Coxhead and Varan Kitayaporn China’s manufacturing-focused stimulus measures have accelerated the extension of its domestic supply chain and caused a surge of exports into world markets. These trends challenge industrial economies all over the world. The ...

Bolivia Inaugurates Steel Plant Built With Chinese Loan

Short on foreign currency, Bolivia inaugurated a steel plant Monday that it hopes will reduce its reliance on metal imports, thanks to a loan from China. The Mutun megaproject in Puerto Suarez, near Bolivia's border with Brazil, was built at a ...

Indonesia’s Manufacturing Gamble: Turning Trade Wars into Economic Opportunity

The relocation of Chinese factories to Southeast Asia is no longer just speculation; it is happening. Countries like Vietnam have already seen significant increases in Chinese industrial investment as companies seek alternative production bases to navigate shifting global trade dynamics.

Kenyan-Chinese Robotics Partnership Breaking AI and STEM Barriers for Schoolchildren

China is the world’s factory, but for one Kenyan company, it has become more than just a source of goods—it is a gateway to affordable technology for education. Afribot Robotics, a Nairobi-based firm specializing in STEM education, discovered this advantage ...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Shein, Chinese Fast Fashion Giant Returns to India After Five-Year Ban

China has joined countries around the world in rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza and force the displacement of Palestinians to other countries. China "has always believed that 'the Palestinians governing Palestine' is the fundamental principle for postwar governance in Gaza," said Foreign Ministry ...
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