After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...
Category: Week in Review
WEEK IN REVIEW: India-China Relations Thaw as Flights Resume and Trade Flows Return
China's top diplomat Wang Yi will travel to India on Monday to meet with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Wang and Doval will meet in their shared capacities as special representatives on border issues. The two are widely expected to discuss preparations for Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China Urges Citizens to Avoid Joining Foreign Wars
The Trump administration indicated that it would postpone a leaders’ summit with African heads of state, which was initially scheduled for next month. The African leaders’ summit would have coincided with the UN General Assembly meeting in September, but White House sources say the government ran out of ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China, Russia Set Joint Sea 2025 Drills Near Japan
Two gatherings in Beijing on Wednesday set the scene for China’s response to ongoing global economic disruptions. A meeting of the CPC’s Politburo pledged to maintain current macroeconomic policy, to “stabilize the fundamentals of foreign trade and investment,” and to support companies impacted by economic shocks. Chinese President ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Sweden to Host Pivotal U.S.–China Trade Talks
Weihai Yamar Outdoors Product Co., a Chinese maker of camping equipment, was among the 25 entities sanctioned by the UK government for abetting undocumented immigration. The company’s production of small inflatable boats put it on the list with people-smuggling gangs and individuals accused of facilitating the movement of ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Trump Might Be Dialing Back to Strike China Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly dialing down his rhetoric in order to secure direct talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and a possible trade deal. Bloomberg quoted unnamed White House sources saying Trump is increasingly pursuing purchase agreements that resemble deals he made in his first ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
WEEK IN REVIEW: Trump’s New Tariff Threat Hits Asia, Africa, Global Stocks
U.S. President Donald Trump posted a letter on social media on Wednesday saying he intends to impose a 50% tariff on "any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States" from August 1. Unlike his other tariff letters, this one specified that the levy is in response ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Modi’s Tour Targets Critical Minerals Diversification and Lessen Dependence on China
The Trump administration has reportedly suspended a regulation that compelled companies to seek government licenses to sell chip design software to China. The U.S. Commerce Department reportedly informed three key providers of chip design software – Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, and Siemens – that government licenses to do ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China to Shift to a Massive-Scale Consumption Economy – China’s Premier Li Qiang
The Taiwanese tech company Foxconn, a major assembler of Apple products, received approval from Taiwan’s regulator for a $2.2 billion investment in facilities in India and the U.S. The Department of Investment Review in Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs also approved a $1.49 billion investment in a subsidiary ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Russia, China Plan Joint Military Drills 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly said on Wednesday that Russia is planning joint military exercises with China in 2025. No details about the date and nature of the exercises were released. China and Russia last held joint exercises in September 2024 off Russia’s eastern coast. (REUTERS) ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Xi Jinping to Attend Central Asia Summit in Astana
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to the Kazakh capital, Astana, next week to take part in a summit with Central Asian leaders. Xi is also scheduled to hold separate bilateral talks with his five counterparts from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Wang Yi Meets Over 50 African Envoys on Africa Day
Brazilian prosecutors announced they are suing the Chinese carmaker BYD and two of its contractors for slave-like labor conditions. Prosecutors in Bahia state are seeking about $50 million in damages from BYD, China JinJiang Construction Brazil, and Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes. The suit follows a complaint last year that ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Chinese Mining Company CMOC Urges Congo to Lift Cobalt Ban
The Chinese mining company CMOC has called on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to lift its export ban on cobalt. The country imposed a four-month ban on exports in the hope of raising prices. The ban is scheduled to expire next month. CMOC’s Vice President ...