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: Investment
Cambodia, China Launch Dialogue to Address Investment Challenges
Cambodia and China held their first public-private sector dialogue on Monday to tackle operational barriers facing Chinese enterprises. Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol and Chinese Ambassador Wang Wenbin co-chaired the forum, which addressed taxation, customs, logistics, and labor issues affecting Chinese businesses. ...
China’s Belt and Road Roars Back, Defying Predictions of a Smaller, Quieter Era
Just a few of years ago, Chinese authorities signaled that the days of massive spending on Belt and Road Initiative projects were over and that a new, more austere era, known as "small yet beautiful" (小而美), would become the norm. New ...
China Leads Thailand’s EEC Projects as Japan Tops Nationwide
China investment in Thailand EEC led foreign business approvals in January–November 2025, according to Thailand’s Department of Business Development. Japan remained the largest source of projects nationwide, the agency said on Friday, Dec. 26.
Xi Elevates Domestic Demand as Core of China’s Economic Strategy
Chinese President Xi Jinping has again placed expanding domestic demand at the core of China’s economic strategy. He argues that growth driven mainly by exports and investment is no longer sufficient as globalization faces headwinds and external conditions change. The ...
The Perception Problem: Why Central Asians Remain Skeptical of Chinese Investment
Over the past decade, China has poured billions into the Central Asian countries, financing infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, and digital technologies, while presenting itself as a reliable development partner. Central Asian governments, eager for investment and diversification, have embraced China as a strategic ally in trade and ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Chinese versus U.S. Foreign Direct Investment in Africa
Deborah Brautigam, a prominent expert on Chinese global financing flows, responded to recent discussions about comparisons in Chinese and U.S. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Africa. It was sparked by a BBC report, which used 2023 data from the China-Africa Research Initiative, a platform pioneered by Brautigam, to ...
Malaysia to Fast-Track Joint Rare Earths Investment with China: PM
Kuala Lumpur will fast-track and speed up talks on a joint Malaysia-China rare earths investment via Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah Nasional, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today. “During my meeting with Premier Li Qiang, I proposed that China’s investment ...
Chinese Embassy Rebukes European Official’s Critique of Ghana Trade Relations
The Chinese embassy in Ghana blasted remarks by David McAllister, chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, who led a six-member delegation to visit legislators in Accra and warned about the dangers of becoming overly reliant on China for trade and investment.
China Among Top Investors as Thailand Logs $42.6 Billion in 2025 Projects
Chinese and regional investors are backing Thailand’s push to become a high-end production and data hub for Southeast Asia. The country’s Board of Investment said investors filed about $42.6 billion worth of new projects this year to build EV battery plants, semiconductor production and large data ...
Chinese FDI in Vietnam Rises as Payouts Hit 5-Year High
Chinese FDI in Vietnam ranked as the second source of newly licensed foreign projects in Vietnam in the first nine months of 2025, according to Vietnam’s National Statistics Office (NSO). The country reported $18.8 billion in realized foreign direct investment ...
Brazil and China Launch $1 Billion Fund to Boost Strategic Investments
Brazil and China unveiled plans for a $1 billion bilateral investment fund, with Brazil’s Development Bank contributing about $400 million and China’s Export-Import Bank committing the remainder. The new fund will target sectors including energy transition, infrastructure, agriculture, and artificial intelligence, ...
Thailand FDI Jumps 125% in 2025; China & Hong Kong Commit $922 Million
Investors from China and Hong Kong committed nearly $922 million to Thailand from January to August 2025, the Ministry of Commerce said. Total foreign projects approved reached about $6.27 billion, up 125% from a year earlier. ...