After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...
Category: Immigration
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 ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Vanishing Brides, Troubled Desire: The Legal Grey Zone of China-Vietnam Wife Tours
A rural Chinese farmer paid over 200,000 yuan (around $28,000) to join a marriage tour in Vietnam—three months later, his new wife vanished. This is not a rare case: stories like his have circulated on Chinese social media for over a ...
China’s C919 Ramps Up Production, Aims to Break Boeing-Airbus Duopoly on Global Market
China’s homegrown C919 passenger jet is accelerating production in a bold challenge to the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, ramping up capacity amid Beijing’s broader push for aviation self-sufficiency. However, while the jet is proving reliable in domestic operations, global expansion ...
Living Between Worlds With One Homeland in Heart: The Story of South African Chinese
Chinese communities in South Africa are generally divided into three distinct groups. LaoQiao (老侨), are South African-born Chinese (SABC) whose families have been in the country for generations, with ancestors arriving as early as the 1870s amid war and disaster in China. The second group, often termed ...
Jakarta Main Airport Scandal: 30 Immigration Officers Under Investigation for Extorting Chinese Visitors
Indonesia’s Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Affairs (Imipas) has removed 30 immigration officers from their posts and conducting investigation at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport following allegations of extortion targeting Chinese nationals. Minister of Immigration Agus Andrianto confirmed the action after receiving ...
What’s on WeChat: Stop Misleading People About What It’s Like For Chinese Entrepreneurs in Africa
A post by longtime Africa WeChat commentator Xiao Nie (小聂说事儿) is sparking a lot of discussion in Chinese development circles about the current conditions facing Chinese expatriates in Africa. Xiao Nie is well-known for his blunt "tell it like it is" writing style, which he's picked up ...
Panama Dismantles ‘VIP’ Chinese Migrant Route in Darien Jungle
By Juan José Rodríguez Panamanian border police arrested 15 people Wednesday connected to a criminal organization that helped smuggle Chinese migrants across the Darien jungle via a "VIP route" with fewer challenges to traverse. The ...
Ecuador to Impose Visas for Chinese Tourists Amid Influx
Ecuador said Tuesday it would soon begin temporarily requiring visas for Chinese citizens after it noted a "worrying increase" in the number who overstay their authorized time in the country. Starting July 1, Quito will suspend the bilateral agreement that had ...