Italy has announced its formal withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative after joining the China-centered infrastructure and investment project in 2019.
The timing of the announcement that Rome won’t renew its BRI commitment is notable. It came only a day before the EU-China summit, which kicks off on Thursday. The summit will likely be more contentious than usual, with European leaders expected to push China on the treatment of EU firms amid discussions ...
Category: Protests
Chinese Flag Mysteriously Appears at Protest in Niger
Russian flags have become a regular sight among supporters of military juntas that have thrown governments across West Africa this year -- but never a Chinese flag, until now. A bright red five-star Chinese flag mysteriously appeared at a protest in ...
43 Arrested in Protests Against Chinese Glass Factory in Indonesia
Indonesian police arrested 43 people during large-scale protests against a Chinese-led glass and solar panel factory. The factory that’s being planned for Rempang, a small island close to the border with Singapore, would displace thousands of local residents. About 1,000 demonstrators took ...
Anti-Chinese Campaign on Nigerian Twitter Raises Questions
Readers following West Africa-China relations will know that unhappiness about Chinese involvement in small-scale mining is ongoing, especially in Ghana. However, a new campaign on Nigerian Twitter under the tag #STOPCHINESEILLEGALMINING is raising all kinds of questions. First, a significant number of the ...
Pakistani Protestors Burn Historical Chinese Fighter Jet Monument
A Pakistani crowd protesting the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges set fire to a monument celebrating China-Pakistan military cooperation. The monument is a reproduction of the Shenyang F-6 aircraft, a Chinese-made replica of the Soviet MiG-21, ...
Controversial China Square Shopping Mall Re-Opens in Nairobi, Prompting Heated Debate About Chinese Imports
Nearly two weeks after being shuttered due to protests from competing traders, China Square, a Nairobi shop selling inexpensive Chinese imports, is back in business. This follows talks between the Kenyan authorities and the local Chinese chamber of commerce. It seems that ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Awkward Timing as Italy Withdraws from BRI
Kenyan Merchants and Consumers Face Off Over Chinese Imports
Kenyan traders staged a street protest against Chinese competitors they say are undercutting them. This follows the targeting of China Square by Trade Secretary Moses Kuria. The popular new Chinese-run store offers imported products at prices 50% lower than traders.
China’s COVID Chaos Bites South African Trade
China’s COVID-related shutdowns and protests are hitting South African businesses. The Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) said the disruptions compounded earlier delays on the SA side. “China is responsible for so much of the products we consume. ...
Commodity Exporters in Developing Countries Fret as China’s Worsening COVID Outbreaks, Protests Prompts Sell-Off
Commodity sellers in Africa, the Middle East and the Americas are becoming increasingly anxious over the situation in China, where days of street protests and COVID outbreaks across the country are weighing down the price of their key exports.
How the Chinese Protests Are Being Discussed in South Africa
Coverage of the ongoing protests in China has been relatively muted in major African media markets like Kenya and Nigeria. Most outlets only covered the protests sporadically and mostly relied on Western news agencies. Much more coverage was dedicated to Africa-China issues, like trade and ...
No International Reaction to China Protests, Beijing Formulating Counter Narrative
International reaction to the extraordinary public protests underway in the streets and university campuses across China has been muted so far. Aside from a scathing statement from the British Broadcasting Corporation over the violent detention of one of its reporters in Shanghai ...