China’s Vice President Han Zheng addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday. Along with retreads of established Chinese positions on Taiwan, Ukraine, and the Israel/Palestine conflict, his comments also provided interesting clues about China’s messaging to the Global South.
First, he called on the international community to “follow the direction of a multipolar world” with the UN at its center. I wonder how opinion within Beijing’s inner circles breaks down around the bipolarity/multipolarity issue, considering ...
Category: Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor: A Critique of 金中夏’s (“Chinese Summer in Finance”) Views on Chinese Debt in Africa
Dear China-Global South Project Editors, I read the China-Global South Daily Brief of 8 November 2022 and came across the paper by Jin Zhongxia whose name 金中夏prompted the title of this letter to the editor. I, of course, agree with ...
Why Sharif’s Recent Visit to Pakistan Wasn’t as Successful as Many Think
Dear Eric and Cobus, Because I know you all care deeply about this topic, I thought I’d share my take on the Pakistan-China relationship and what came out of PM Sharif’s recent Beijing trip. I’m saying this because I’ve got a ...
More Nuance Needed in Discussion About Xi’s Party Congress Speech and What It Signals About China’s Engagement in the Global South
A recent column by CGSP Editor-in-Chief Eric Olander that said Xi Jinping's speech at the 20th Party Congress last Sunday pointed to a re-prioritization of Chinese foreign policy objectives focused primarily on competition with the U.S. and fortifying its near-abroad sparked a robust discussion online.
Letter to the Editor: Contrary to Widespread Misperception, China Has Restructured Some of Its Commercial Loans in Africa
Hi Eric and Cobus, I’m writing to follow up on a statement about Chinese debt relief you made in a recent column: …the fact is that China has canceled some zero-interest loans that only ...
Letter to the Editor: The Zambian Debt Crisis as Seen by a “Concerned Citizen”
Hi Eric and Cobus, Being a Zambian living in Zambia, I've observed with interest your coverage of the looming credit default by Zambia on its debt repayments to bondholders. You've mostly looked at it in the context of the COVID-19 induced ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Unpacking Han Zheng’s Messaging to the Global South at the UN General Assembly
Letter to the Editor: Why China Will NOT Seize the Port of Mombasa if Kenya Defaults on SGR Debt
Hi Eric, Just caught this statement [in your September 28 column "China Faces a Critical Test": "And let’s not forget that, should Kenya Railways default on the Nairobi-to-Mombasa SGR loan, there's always the Port of Mombasa that serves as collateral"] ...
Letter to the Editor: Defending the Interests of Africa’s Private Creditors
Hi Mr. Olander, I work as a sovereign credit analyst at a private buy-side financial firm - I research the Sub-Saharan (and Middle East/North Africa) regions, and as such your content enriches my understanding of the countries in which we invest. ...
Letter to the Editor: Contrasting Japanese vs. Chinese Investment in Africa
Dear Eric, As the Representative in Africa for JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), I would like to comment regarding your column on September 24th, "What It Takes To Compete Against the Chinese in Africa," where you mentioned that ...