Category: Week in Review

Tuvalu's new government reaffirmed its support for diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of switching to China. Prime Minister Feleti Teo's administration released a Statement of Priorities on Wednesday that included a commitment to maintain nearly half-century-old ties with Taiwan. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Sino-Australian joint venture to develop Africa's largest mine in Guinea edged closer to reality on Wednesday when Rio Tinto's board approved $6.2 billion for the project. Next, a consortium of Chinese partners must get their boards to do the same to build the mine, rail, and port ...

Australia's Trade Minister Don Farrell said he would call on his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao to remove all remaining economic sanctions on imported Australian products when they meet later this month.  Beijing imposed tariffs on Australian goods in 2020 after Canberra called for an investigation into the origins ...

Iran, Russia and China will conduct joint naval exercises in March, according to Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani. Details on the specific location of the war games and what other countries have been invited were not announced. The three countries conducted similar drills last year at ...

Indian naval forces are closely monitoring the movements of a Chinese research vessel operating in the Indian Ocean that is making its way towards the Maldives. Although these Chinese research ships are not officially designated as military vessels, the Indian government suspects the data they collect is used ...

Saudi Arabia is apparently still not yet a member of the BRICS club despite its membership being announced at the same time as when other new members joined the bloc. The Kingdom's commerce minister Majid al-Kasabi confirmed on Tuesday Riyadh has "not yet officially joined." (REUTERS) China's long-serving special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua stepped down due to ...

Chinese mining giant CMOC surpassed its Swiss rival Glencore to become the largest cobalt producer in the DR Congo. The Chinese company boosted production from its Congolese mines in 2023 by 170%. The production surge helped to depress cobalt prices that slumped 30% last year: (BLOOMBERG) ...

An insurgent group in Myanmar has reportedly seized another key border crossing with China, further eroding the ruling junta’s control of the northeastern Shan State. Beijing remains concerned about factional fighting in Myanmar spilling over the border and has even deployed PLA troops on the Chinese side. (DIPLOMAT) ...

Ethiopia is widely expected to default on a portion of its debt as the government warned it will not be able to make a $33 million bond payment due on Monday. Ethiopia is in the midst of Chinese-led debt restructuring talks under the G20's Common Framework initiative. 

Vietnamese officials are preparing for Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Hanoi next Tuesday and Wednesday, well-placed sourced told Bloomberg. This will be Xi's first trip to Vietnam since 2017 and follows Hanoi's recent upgrade of diplomatic ties with both the U.S. and Japan. (BLOOMBERG) ...

Argentina's president-elect Javier Milei met with U.S. officials in Washington as he begins to pivot toward the U.S. and away from Beijing. While campaigning, the radical libertarian said he would downgrade ties with China, which he called “an assassin.” (REUTERS) Chinese Foreign ...

Félix Tshisekedi, the president of the DRC, officially inaugurated a new Chinese-built dry port. The Sakania dry port is on the border with Zambia and will double as a border post and a nerve center in the countries’ cross-border mining industries. Built by Jiayou International Logistics, it is ...