With U.S.-South Africa ties in the deep freeze, it was notable to see the sheer size of the U.S. delegation sent to this week’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the most prominent industry gatherings and one of the few where the Global South gets a prominent voice.
The Trump administration’s famous Afrophobia seems (momentarily at least) tempered by its greed for minerals. It is reportedly walking ...
Category: Immigration
Türkiye Goes Visa-Free for Chinese Tourists, Then Comes the Price Shock
When Türkiye announced visa-free entry for Chinese passport holders starting January 2, travel plans across China shifted overnight. Searches for “Türkiye travel” surged. Travel platform Qunar reported a 3.2-fold weekly increase, while Tongcheng Travel saw searches jump 235% day on day. ...
Chinese Detainees Riot in Thai Detention Center, 15 Charged
Hundreds of Chinese nationals accused of fleeing online scam hubs in Myanmar rioted inside a Thai immigration detention center Wednesday night. The Chinese detainees riot came as Thailand and China were stepping up deportation back to China. The disturbance involved ...
Japan Sidelines Chinese Immigrants as It Opens Door to India, Says Chinese Commentator
In August, India and Japan finalized a significant human resources partnership, agreeing to facilitate the exchange of 500,000 people over the next five years, including 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled Indian workers who will be employed in Japan. Recently, popular online ...
Chinese Youth Fear India Will Seize Job Opportunities Under New K Visa
A recent commentary from College Daily, the largest media platform for Chinese students overseas, examines how China’s newly launched K visa, set to take effect on October 1, is already drawing unusual attention abroad—particularly in India. Major Indian outlets are referring to it as “China’s H-1B,” ...
Singapore Denies Entry to HK Activist, Citing ‘National Interests’
Singapore said Monday it had refused entry to Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law over the weekend as his presence would not be in the city-state's "national interests". The activist, who holds a UK refugee travel document, told AFP that he ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Why Chinese Flight Attendants Love Africa Routes
The most coveted international route among China Southern Airlines crew isn’t to glamorous destinations in Europe or the United States, but to Africa, a flight attendant recently revealed on Chinese video platform Bilibili. Back in 2015, during China Southern’s peak ...
Chinese Social Media Mocks Japan’s Plan to Welcome African Migrants
When Tokyo announced it would welcome African migrants to revive depopulated towns, many Chinese online reacted with scorn. Japan announced plans to bring in African migrants through a “special talent visa program” unveiled at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African ...
Direct Flights Between India and China Set to Resume as Part of Broader Rapprochement
A nearly five-year freeze in relations between India and China is quickly thawing ahead of a landmark visit to Tianjin later this month by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi's upcoming trip would mark his first visit to China in ...
A Crocodile Feast in Congo Brazzaville Sparks a Cultural Reckoning on Chinese Social Media
On the bustling streets of Brazzaville’s so-called “Ghost Market,” a Chinese food vlogger nicknamed Bing Shu captured what he called the “national dish of Congo”: a fresh-killed crocodile feast, right off the street-side chopping block. His wide-eyed reactions to grilled monkeys, with teeth still intact, and bubbling ...
China Eases Transit Rules for Indonesians. Jakarta Should Push for More.
China’s recent inclusion of Indonesia in its 240-hour visa-free transit program is a notable, if not entirely surprising, development. While Indonesia is now among the 55 countries benefiting from this arrangement, the move signals a step forward in the broader relationship between the two nations. For ...
A Chinese Scholar Uncovers Cuba’s Chinese Migrant Past
When the U.S. Prohibition Act (1920–1933) banned alcohol, it unexpectedly turned Cuba into a vice paradise—and reshaped the destiny of Chinese migrants fleeing America’s anti-Chinese racism. As thirsty Americans flooded Havana’s bars and casinos, the island’s economy boomed. Meanwhile, the Chinese ...
Hong Kong Tycoon’s Panama Port Deal Sparks Chinese Immigration Marketing Frenzy
As China moves to block a high-profile international deal, the controversy has unexpectedly fueled a new wave of immigration marketing. On March 4, 2025, Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing announced the $22.8 billion sale of his Panama Canal ports and 43 ...