In terms of geopolitical optics, this week was nothing short of a banquet. It served up at least two sets of images that seem to crystallize our historical moment and that will live on in the Wikipedia of history as shorthand for where the world was in 2025.
One is the waves of uncannily synchronized soldiers and a bewildering array of high-tech weaponry gliding down Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue. The ...
Category: Investment
Import Perks End, China EVs Must Be Built in Indonesia in 2026
Indonesia will end tax breaks on fully built battery electric cars, including Chinese EVs, on Dec. 31, 2025, and require automakers to assemble locally starting 2026. The rule puts Chinese brands at the center of the shift: BYD, Geely, ...
Brazil Leads Emerging Markets in Attracting Chinese Investment
A surge of Chinese investment in Brazil's automotive, energy, and mining sectors propelled the South American country to become the top emerging market destination for Chinese FDI last year, according to a new report published by the Brazil-China Business Council. Chinese ...
Chinese EV Investment Shifts Abroad, Tech Stay Home: Report
Chinese EV makers invested more abroad than at home in 2024 for the first time, Rhodium Group data show, but real production capacity and completion rates remain overwhelmingly domestic, revealing early-stage globalization with high foreign execution risk. About 15% of ...
Cambodia’s Strategic Bet: Banking on China’s Vision for a Second Shenzhen
Cambodia is making a strategic bet by aligning itself closely with China’s economic and geopolitical vision, particularly through the "second Shenzhen" dream in Preah Sihanouk province. The Fourth Think Tank High-Level Forum, held this week in Phnom Penh and Siem ...
China’s Expanding Footprint in Cambodia: Xi’s April State Visit Signals Deeper Ties
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Cambodia in April for a state visit, announced Khy Sovanratana, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on Monday. Representing Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, Sovanratana emphasized ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
China’s Investment in Cambodia Surges, Deepening Ties but Raising Dependence Questions
China now accounts for nearly 80% of Cambodia’s total investment capital as of the first two months of 2025, underscoring Beijing’s deepening economic footprint. Special Economic Zones SEZs have been crucial in attracting Chinese investors, reflecting a ...
China Poised to Shield Economy from Global Shocks as PM Li Qiang Courts Investors
China is reinforcing its position as a global economic anchor, with Premier Li Qiang stating that Beijing is prepared for external shocks that may exceed expectations. Speaking at the China Development Forum CDF on Sunday, Li said the Chinese ...
China’s Sunwoda Invests $1 Billion in Thailand’s EV Battery Industry Amid Rising Chinese EV Presence
China’s Sunwoda Electronic is expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle EV industry with a $1 billion investment in Thailand. The country is accelerating efforts to establish itself as a regional EV manufacturing hub. Thailand’s Commission on the National ...
Vietnam’s VinFast Takes on China in Indonesia EV Market with Plant and 100,000 Charging Stations
Vietnamese automaker VinFast is making a major push into Indonesia’s electric vehicle EV sector with a planned $1.2 billion investment, including a $200 million EV manufacturing plant in West Java and an EV charging network worth up to $1 billion.
Phase 3 of the Belt & Road Initiative: Develop New Supply Chains
Princeton University Post-Doctoral Researcher Kyle Chan recently published a fascinating new map of that shows the surge of Chinese manufacturing investment around the world between 2019 and 2024. Unsurprisingly, the map reveals heavy investment in Southeast Asia but relatively little in Africa ...
China’s $4.4 Billion Bet on Indonesia’s New Capital: A Strategic Utility Tunnel for Power and Sensitive Fiber Optics
In a move that underscores Beijing’s growing role in Indonesia’s ambitious new capital, Nusantara IKN, the Indonesian government has given China Harbour Indonesia the green light to develop a massive multi-utility tunnel (MUT) and road infrastructure project, including fiber optics, worth approximately $4.4 billion.
BYD Expands Dealership Network and Build $1 Billion EV Factory in Indonesia
BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant, announced plans to expand its dealership network from 35 locations in 20 cities to 80 outlets by the end of 2025. The expansion is seen as it looks to cement its position in ...