The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: Environment
Grassroots Diplomacy in Dairi: How a Small Indonesian Community is Challenging China’s Zinc Ambitions
The sounds of mining machinery in the highlands of Indonesia’s North Sumatra province have fallen silent — not due to proactive government intervention or seamless regulatory enforcement, but because of relentless grassroots resistance. A controversial mining project in the Bukit Barisan ...
Europe’s Green Mining Regulations May Push Africa Closer to China
While Europe’s environmental policy to limit carbon emissions is well-meaning and aims to fight climate change, it could actually make things worse for Africa. Instead of helping the continent to develop its industries, EU policy might instead give China more control over access to valuable mineral resources, ...
China Lead Mine Plan Weighs Heavily on Myanmar Tribe
Hundreds of protesting Myanmar tribespeople march up a hillside to a cavernous facility where a Chinese joint venture's giant milling machines stand ready to grind up the rocks of their ancestral homeland for lead ore. Demand for the heavy metal is ...
China-Africa Critical Minerals Update: Clean Up in Zambia, Disputes in the DR Congo
In Zambia, efforts to clean up a massive acid spill from a Chinese-owned mine have been met with skepticism, despite government assurances. Officials claim restitution is underway and rehabilitation plans are in place, but activists question the fairness of compensation and ...
China Offers Pacific Islands Climate, Development Cooperation
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi focused on climate change and development cooperation during the China-Pacific Islands Forum ministerial meeting that took place on 28 and 29 May in Xiamen, Fujian Province. It was the first in-person event since its launch in 2021. It included senior officials from ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
A Greener Footprint? Decoding China’s New ESG Standards for Global Projects
China’s domestic and overseas projects may soon become significantly greener. A groundbreaking new law — the Corporate Sustainability Disclosure Standards: Basic Guidelines — marks a potential turning point, provided it is fully implemented and enforced. The new ESG disclosure rules represent ...
A Greener Footprint? Decoding China’s New ESG Standards for Global Projects
China’s domestic and overseas projects may soon become significantly greener. A groundbreaking new law — the Corporate Sustainability Disclosure Standards: Basic Guidelines — marks a potential turning point, provided it is fully implemented and enforced. The new ESG disclosure rules represent ...
Chinese Executive Linked to Bangkok Building Collapse Arrested
Thai authorities said they have arrested a Chinese executive at a company that was building a Bangkok skyscraper which collapsed in a major earthquake, leaving dozens dead. The 30-storey tower was reduced to an immense pile of rubble when a 7.7-magnitude ...
Zambia’s Kafue River Disaster Puts China’s Mining Record Under Fire
In February, a tailings dam at a Chinese-owned mine in Zambia collapsed, releasing 50 million liters of acid waste into the Kafue River—a critical water source for millions. The spill sparked national outrage and raised urgent questions about environmental oversight, ...
China’s AI-Powered Translation System Speeds Myanmar’s Earthquake Rescue Efforts
China launched an AI-powered translation platform based on its DeepSeek system after the deadly earthquake in Myanmar. The platform was critical in bridging communication gaps and supporting rapid rescue operations. Developed in just seven hours, the platform ...
Chinese Developer Under Scrutiny Over Bangkok Tower Quake Collapse
By Sally Jensen and Chayanit Itthipongmaetee A Chinese construction company is facing questions over the deadly collapse of a Bangkok skyscraper -- the only major building in the capital to fall in a catastrophic earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 ...
China’s Quake Relief a Messaging Win
The first batch of Chinese emergency aid arrived in Myanmar on Monday. By then, Chinese rescue teams were on the ground in Myanmar and Thailand, and they had rescued six people. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun framed the response as a sign of China’s regional commitment: ...