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 ...
Country: Cambodia
Belt and Road Initiative at 10: Milestones and Concerns Across Southeast Asia
China held its third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in October, with leaders from Southeast Asia in attendance to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). At the opening ceremony, the Chinese president Xi Jinping posed with ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Awkward Timing as Italy Withdraws from BRI
PLA Navy Warships Make First Port of Call in Cambodia’s New Chinese-Built Port
A small flotilla of Chinese warships that includes a destroyer, a frigate and a supply vessel docked at Cambodia's newly upgraded Ream naval base on Tuesday in the southwestern province of Sihanoukville. Defense Minister Tea Seiha said the PLA Navy warships came ...
China-Cambodia Film Tour Kicks Off
This year's China-Cambodia film tour kicked off Friday in Cambodia's Siem Reap Province, home to the famous Angkor Wat temple complex. The annual event, which began in 2016 and screens films throughout Cambodia, is jointly hosted by the state-owned China Media ...
New Satellite Images Reveal Cambodia’s New Chinese-Built Navy Base Will be Large Enough to Dock Aircraft Carriers
It now appears that the new Cambodian navy base that China is building in Ream will be large enough to accommodate an aircraft carrier even though the Cambodian navy doesn't have vessels anywhere near that large. New satellite photos reveal ...
Southeast Asia is Testing TikTok’s Limits
ByteDance’s TikTok is learning some very valuable lessons from the past few weeks: overconfidence is bad, and a new level of creativity might be in order if it wants to keep up with Southeast Asia’s policy quirks. Charm alone is not enough in this part of the ...
Southeast Asian Vacation Spots Wait for Chinese Tourists Who Seem More Content to Stay Home
The number of Chinese tourists that went abroad during last week’s normally bustling holiday break was significantly below pre-pandemic levels and even fell short of official forecasts, raising more concerns about the country’s tightened consumer spending. While a rare confluence of ...
Cambodia Must Step Up its Energy Game Beyond Chinese-Backed Hydropower
Chinese hydropower dams have helped Cambodia maintain its much-needed electricity supply. But relying on hydroelectric power alone is not enough and has proved to be dangerous for local people and their surroundings. Achieving true energy security for Cambodia could mean that it must consider temporary difficult options, ...
Hun Manet Meets With Xi on First Overseas Trip as Cambodian PM
Cambodia's new prime minister, Hun Manet, promised even closer ties with China during a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday. The newly-named Cambodian leader thanked Xi for China's economic support and said he would deepen cooperation with Beijing's ...
Q&A: Financing a Renewables Shift in African Countries as China’s New “Small or Beautiful” Model Takes Root
If you look at the specific demands of many African countries, they are now more focused on production-related activities rather than fancy highways that lead to nowhere.
Cambodia’s New PM to Visit China
Cambodia’s new Prime Minister, Hun Manet, will visit China for two days from Thursday, one of his first official overseas visits since taking over from his father, Hun Sen. He will meet with China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Six ...
BRI @ 10: Lessons From Cambodia About Chinese Investment
China's Belt and Road Initiative marked its 10th anniversary this month, prompting a lot of discussion about what's next for Beijing's controversial development agenda. While BRI spending in Africa and the Americas has plummeted in recent years that is not the ...