A bill currently under consideration in New York State could reshape sovereign debt renegotiations around the world by making private creditors accept the same losses as the U.S. government would as a sovereign creditor instead of holding out for a full payback.
The bill comes as countries like Zambia and Sri Lanka face their loan renegotiations being dragged out for years as U.S.-based private lenders stonewall to obtain better deals. 52% of the ...
Category: Foreign Policy
China Opens New Embassy in Honduras as Part of a Flurry of Diplomatic Activity Between the Two Countries This Week
The Chargé d'Affaires for China's new embassy in Honduras, Yu Bo, unveiled the plaque that will be posted outside of the mission during a ceremony this week in Tegucigalpa. Monday's ceremony capped a frantic series of back-to-back announcements that included the ...
Chinese Envoy Waves Farewell to DRC
After years in the crucible of the extremely complex and contentious relationship between China and the DRC, Ambassador Zhu Jing is moving on a notably senior position in the EU.
China’s New Ambassador-Designate to the DR Congo Arrives in Kinshasa
Zhao Bin, China's new ambassador-designate to the DR Congo, arrived in Kinshasa on Friday. This is Zhao's first assignment in Africa, which is somewhat unusual given that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs tends to post envoys with experience on the ...
Taiwan’s ‘Look South’ Policy Aims to Reduce Dependency on China
By Felix Brender Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s administration launched the New Southbound Policy (NSP, 新南向政策) in late 2016, ostensibly to reduce dependence on China. The NSP is impressive in its scope (trade collaboration, talent exchange, resource sharing, and regional connectivity) and ...
Tshisekedi’s Trip to China Was a Total Waste of Time and It’s His Fault
Two somewhat perplexing stories today in the China-Africa space. First, the visit to China by President Félix Tshisekedi is wrapping up in Hong Kong and it appears, at least based on what we know so far, that the trip was a colossal waste of time for the ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Proposed New York Law Could Reshape Debt Negotiations Around the World
Questions About South Africa’s Arms Scandal Should Go Beyond ‘Malign Influence’
So…since we last spoke, there’ve been some developments… A quick recap: Reuben Brigety, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, held a press conference Thursday where he alleged that SA supplied arms and ammunition to a Russian cargo ship that docked in Cape ...
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: What’s of Note So Far?
By Saniya Kulkarni The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers Meet is currently underway in Goa, India, a week after the Defence Ministers Meet concluded in New Delhi. It is a busy summitry season for India, which is presiding over the ...
Connecting the Dots: China-India Rivalry Is Reshaping Indian Ocean Politics
China and India are commercial rivals in fields as diverse as antibiotics and spices. The two are also increasingly trying to expand their influence among governments across the Indian Ocean region. The rivalry can’t be separated from broader geopolitical tensions between the ...
Explainer: How ‘Modernization’ Became China’s Newest Talking Point
Qin Gang’s first press conference as Foreign Minister also saw the launch of a new Africa-focused talking point: Chinese modernization is different from and more inclusive than that of the West. Since then, Qin has repeated this point for example, at the Lanting ...
Secret EU Document Reveals Big Plans for Key China Allies
Politico has obtained a confidential EU briefing outlining plans to regain influence in four “priority countries” deemed too close to China and Russia. In order to isolate China and drum up global support for Ukraine and against Russia, the document advised the ...