The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: Protests
Grassroots Diplomacy in Dairi: How a Small Indonesian Community is Challenging China’s Zinc Ambitions
The sounds of mining machinery in the highlands of Indonesia’s North Sumatra province have fallen silent — not due to proactive government intervention or seamless regulatory enforcement, but because of relentless grassroots resistance. A controversial mining project in the Bukit Barisan ...
Hundreds Protest Against Illegal Mining In East DR Congo
Several hundred people demonstrated Wednesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo to protest illegal mining in the country's east, where authorities are investigating claims of widespread illicit Chinese involvement. The gathering followed the announcement Sunday of the arrest of three Chinese ...
Uganda Detains 21 People Protesting Sino-French Oil Project
Ugandan police arrested 21 environmentalists in the capital, Kampala, on Monday as they protested a controversial multi-billion-dollar oil development scheme, their lawyer said. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP), headed by French oil giant TotalEnergies, involves drilling for oil ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Chinese Debt and the Anti-Government Revolt in Kenya
Protestors in Kenya this week expressed fury against the government and the IMF but interestingly made no mention of China during an unprecedented uprising in Nairobi. It's notable because the Kenyan Treasury spends more money to service its Chinese loans than ...
Hundreds of Filipino Fishers Protest Against Beijing’s South China Sea Claims
Hundreds of protestors marched on the Chinese embassy in Manila on Tuesday to protest against Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea, particularly the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
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 ...
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. ...