The Philippine coastguard called on its country’s fishing fleets to keep operating around the Scarborough Shoal (known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Dao in China) despite the large Chinese presence in the disputed South China Sea area.
Coastguard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said while Philippine government vessels can’t maintain a constant presence, they are committed to protecting the country’s fishing rights in what it sees as its Exclusive Economic Zone.
Country: African Union
Tart Response in Beijing to India-Canada Dispute
China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper said the brewing conflict between India and Canada about the possible involvement of Indian actors in the assassination of a Sikh leader in British Columbia reveals “the vulnerability of the so-called value-based alliance system led by the US.”
Mapping the Emerging Africa-China Landscape
Boston University's Global Development Policy Center published a new policy brief tracking trends in Chinese financing to Africa. It notes the sharp decline in the size and number of loans compared to the 2010s. This point has been made before and ...
The Emerging Talking Points Restructuring the Africa-China Relationship
The last few weeks have been punctuated by both an alphabet soup of big summits (BRICS, ASEAN, G20) and much discussion of the optics of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s presence or absence from them. Amid the fray, a significant shift in Africa-China ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: AU in G20 and the New “Chinese Savior” Narrative in Africa
The Chinese Foreign Ministry was among the first major governments this week to welcome the African Union as the newest member of the G20. The big question now is what will the AU do now that it has a seat at ...
Kenya Hosts Climate Summit With Hopes of Debt Restructuring, Green Financing and China’s “Small or Beautiful” Impact on Energy Access
A Chinese delegation led by their Minister of Environment, Huang Runqiu, is in Kenya for the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) kicking off today and which will be used as a platform to discuss green financing and debt, among other highlights.
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Philippine Fishing Fleets Urged to Maintain Presence at Disputed Shoal as Tensions Build
U.S. Lawmakers Want to Sell More Stuff to Africa and Latin America to Counter China
Tucked away in a remote corner of the U.S. Senate's version of the massive $875 billion proposed budget for the U.S. Defense Department is a small piece of legislation that aims to boost U.S. exports to Africa. The legislation, known as the ...
Why a Chinese Province’s Trade Plans Could Be a Game-Changer for Africa
“The United States is ‘all in’ on Africa’s future.” This was the line from President Joe Biden at the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in December. This linking of Africa and “future” is a tic of our time. It play-acts inclusivity while deftly stepping past the fact that ...
China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo Kicks Off in Hunan
The biggest annual event in Africa-China trade kicks off in Changsha, Hunan Province, on Thursday, running until July 2. The third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is notable for two key reasons. First, it signals the full resumption of Africa-China trade relations ...
Trend to Watch: More Hunan Cities Launch Commercial Diplomacy Initiatives in Africa
Representatives from 50 African countries are expected to participate in the upcoming China-Africa Trade Expo that will take place for the third time in the central Chinese province of Hunan beginning on June 29th. The expo serves as an important showcase for ...
Snapshot: How Chinese Investment in Africa is Shifting
A new set of charts compiled by the China-Mideast researcher Andrea Ghiselli provides an intriguing glimpse of how Chinese investment in Sub-Saharan Africa is evolving. The charts are reportedly based on data from statistical yearbooks and investment bulletins. Big ...