Category: Economy
The Pressure is on the G20 to do Something… Anything… About Debt Relief at This Weekend’s Summit in Rome
Debt relief for the world's poorest countries will once again be a topic of discussion at yet another high-profile G20 gathering this weekend in Rome. Yet, there's good reason to doubt that little more will come out of this meeting than any of the ...
CARI Researchers Critique AidData’s Report on Chinese “Hidden Debt” in BRI Countries
AidData's landmark research report published last month, "Banking on the Belt and Road," generated tremendous media coverage around the world, particularly related to the report's finding that $385 billion in so-called "hidden debts" are owed to China. ...
With New Chinese Money Hard to Come By, Kenya’s Treasury Turns to the Bond Market to Finance Infrastructure
The Kenyan government is making preparations to float its largest-ever bond offering, a record $1.3 billion (Sh150 billion) issuance. It will be used to settle debts with contractors, possibly including some Chinese companies, and to fund road projects that are currently in development.
China, DRC Sign Three Agreements to Reduce Debt and Provide New Aid
Chinese ambassador to the DRC Zhu Jing and Foreign Affairs Minister Christophe Lutundula Apala posed for a ceremonial fist-bump at the Foreign Ministry in Kinshasa following the signing earlier this month of three new accords that will provide additional Chinese aid to the DRC while eliminating some of ...
Chinese Companies Looking to Improve Their Reputations in Africa Could Learn a Lot From What Huawei’s Doing in Kenya
Very few Chinese companies have been able to generate the kind of goodwill that Chinese telecom giant Huawei enjoys in Kenya and it’s not by chance. When it comes to local employment, the company spans a whole value chain from suppliers, technicians, charitable partners, educators, and academics ...
Anzetse Were on the Current State of China-Africa Economic Relations
China-Africa trade figures for the first eight months of the year are in and they look solid. So good, in fact, that the two sides appear on track to surpass last year's $187 billion in two-way trade. But those big numbers ...
Nigeria Unveils a Chinese-Style Digital Currency Platform
Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari, unveiled the country's new digital currency platform, eNaira, on Monday. It is Africa's first virtual currency. The new service will allow Nigerians to make contactless payments, move money between accounts and manage their accounts virtually. Unlike other ...
COVID Flare-Ups in China Threaten to Disrupt What’s Otherwise Been a Strong Year For China-Africa Trade
While global trade experiences unprecedented disruptions of major supply chain networks, that turbulence does not appear to have had much effect on the volume of Chinese trade with African countries, at least so far. Chinese ...
One Kenyan Entrepreneur’s Cautionary Tale About Replacing Chinese Imports With a Locally-made Alternative
Kenya's gaping trade imbalance with China is typical of many African countries that import significantly more than they export to the Chinese market. This has prompted calls going back years for Africans to reduce their dependency on Chinese imports and manufacture more at home, particularly in the ...
Chinese Contractors Almost Finished With Upgrade and Expansion of Uganda’s Main International Airport
Five years after the state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) began work on a $200 million upgrade and expansion of Uganda's Entebbe International Airport, project managers say the project is 75% complete. When completed the new cargo terminal will be able ...
Huawei’s Former Premium Smartphone Brand Honor Hopes to Make a Comeback in Africa
Huawei's former premium smartphone brand Honor (now owned by the Shenzhen city government) plans to make a big push in South Africa next year with the opening of three retail stores and distribution deals with the country's major telcos Vodacom, MTN, and Telkom. (TECH ...
The Colonial Connection to Chinese Labor Disputes in Africa
The last year or so has seen a constant drip-drip-drip of social media videos showing Chinese managers abusing African workers. The trend has understandably cast a harsh light on Africa-China labor relations. To my mind, the resultant framing of Chinese labor practices in Africa as neo-colonial is ...




