Category: Media
Solomon Islands Media Protest Press Restrictions During Wang’s Visit
The Media Association of Solomon Islands announced that it will boycott a "press conference" on Thursday with Wang Yi and his SI counterpart Jeremiah Manele to protest against rules that only allow the Chinese state-broadcaster CCTV to ask Wang just one question.
Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe Can’t Stop Talking About the “Malicious Activities” of Another “Foreign Embassy” in Harare
The Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe has been on a tear for the past several weeks, angrily fuming on its Twitter feed and in local press interviews about the "malicious activities" of "#Mr1K" aka a "certain foreign embassy" in Harare. The Chinese mission is seemingly upset ...
A Chinese Appeal For Compatriots Not to Abuse Local Workers in Africa
Earlier this year, the head of security at a Chinese company in Zimbabwe posted videos to his Douyin account (the Chinese equivalent of TikTok) that showed him beating and illegally detaining local workers, according to a story published this week on the Zimbabwe Chinese Network (ZCN) WeChat page. ...
Zimbabwe’s President and Chinese Business Community Warn of Western Undermining
The Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Chinese companies active in the country are both issuing dark warnings that Western governments are paying NGOs to undermine them. This comes against the background of a months-long standoff between Chinese mining and other companies, and a coalition of NGOs alleging labor and environmental abuses.
The Economist Wades into Africa-China Relations
The Economist brought out a special report on Africa-China relations. It is rare for the magazine to dedicate so much attention to Africa-China relations. However, its geopolitical framing: “To counter China’s growing role in Africa the West must first understand it” is already drawing criticism from African development experts.
So Far, The New Chinese-Built Nairobi Expressway Isn’t Doing Much to Relieve Traffic Congestion
This is what critics of the new Nairobi Expressway feared would happen: that a select few wealthy motorists would be able to afford the tolls while everyone else is relegated to the side roads that are jammed far beyond capacity.
TikTok’s Chinese Parent Company Targets African Teens With New Messaging App
Bytedance, parent company of the enormously successful social video app TikTok, launched a new mobile messaging app that targets Africa's huge teen market. The new app will combine music and messaging features with an eye on displacing the current market leaders ...
Southward Bound
Over the last few months, you may have seen a few changes around these pages. While our focus has always been (and will always be) on Africa, you probably spotted the odd Southeast Asian or Middle Eastern, or Latin American story cropping up.
Lockdown “Shout-Out” Videos Featuring Africans Raise Controversy
The ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns in cities like Shanghai are sparking a cottage industry of commissioned viral videos commenting on the crisis. Recently, videos of shirtless African men, dubbed Wolf Warriors, dancing or posing with messages in Mandarin have become trendy. While many Chinese consumers see ...
Damning Report Documents How Small-Scale Chinese Cobalt Miners in the DR Congo Use Child Labor
The popular Congolese news site Actualites.CD published an in-depth report by Lumbubashi-based journalist Anto Mulanga that details the widespread use of child labor in small-scale mines in the southeastern cobalt mining belt. While the report is not exclusively focused on how independent small-scale ...
Chinese Troops in Djibouti Compete in a Military Skills Competition (That Also Made For a Cool Music Video)
Chinese troops in Djibouti recently (they didn't specify precisely when) held the "East African Warriors" military skills competition and leveraged the event to make a Wolf Warrior II-style music video that was no doubt a big hit among viewers back home. ...
No, Kenya Airways and China Road & Bridge Corp. Aren’t Teaming Up to Hire New Personnel
Kenyan scammers posted a fake job ad that claimed Kenya Airways has partnered with the China Road and Bridge Corporation to hire cleaners, toll attendants, and clerks. More than a dozen positions were advertised all with relatively generous salaries. But there ...