Category: Coup

Two Weeks After the Coup, It’s Business as Usual For Gabon’s Chinese Community

Other than a 6 p.m. curfew every night, daily life for most of the 3,000 Chinese expatriates in Gabon hasn't changed much since the military overthrew the government of longtime dictator Ali Bongo on August 30. A media worker for the ...

Amid West African Coups, Benin Leader’s Beijing Trip Is Notable

Considering the caliber of events Chinese President Xi Jinping is not showing up to, it’s notable that he made time to meet with Benin’s President Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon on Friday. Talon led a four-day state visit to Beijing, which saw the establishment ...

Gabon’s Coup Could Open Opportunities for China

China’s response to last week’s coup in Gabon kept to well-trodden themes. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Webin told reporters:  “China is closely following the developments in Gabon. We call on relevant sides in the country to proceed from the fundamental interests of ...

Chinese Commentators Are Nervous About Russian and Western Influence in Niger

Until now, Chinese commentators have been largely quiet about the implications of the July 26 coup in Niger on Chinese interests in the West African country. Now, though, that's starting to change as anonymous political commentators are publishing some fascinating perspectives ...

Chinese Embassy in Sudan Activates Emergency Protocols, Orders Companies to Stop Work and Personnel to Take Shelter

The Chinese embassy in Khartoum on Monday activated its "safety emergency mechanism," a set of protocols that ordered all "Chinese-funded institutions" to suspend operations and for personnel to take cover in response to the escalating unrest in Sudan following yesterday's toppling of the civilian government.

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...