Reflections on the legacy of Jiang Zemin, China’s president from 1993 to 2003, who passed away on Wednesday, emphasized how he presided over a decade of explosive economic growth. Fewer have pointed out that he was also a key architect of China’s current relationship with Africa.
After the Mao era, emblematized by Chinese involvement in African anti-colonial struggles, the relationship went dormant as China focused on building economic ties ...
Country: Cameroon
China’s Special Rep For Africa Wraps Up Visit to Cameroon
One of China's top diplomats for Africa, Liu Yuxi, concluded a three-day visit to Cameroon on Tuesday following talks with Chinmoun Oumaru, the Secretary General of the Ministry of External Relations. Liu, the Foreign Ministry's Special Representative for African Affairs, is currently touring the continent. Earlier, he ...
Wang Touts China’s Human Rights Record to Visiting Asian, African Diplomats on Their Way To Visit Xinjiang
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke glowingly of Beijing's human rights record with indirect references to the situation in Xinjiang when he met on Tuesday with a delegation of visiting UN diplomats from Asian and African countries. The group ...
Split Views in Africa Over China’s Push to Build Parliaments and Other Government Buildings Across the Continent
The imminent handover of the newly-built Zimbabwe parliament building that was almost entirely paid for by the Chinese government has prompted a lively debate online about China's so-called "Palace Diplomacy" in Africa. Opinions about the new hall in Harare ...
Sinosteel Signs Iron Ore Deal with Cameroon
The Chinese state-owned steelmaker Sinosteel signed a $690 million deal to mine iron ore at southern Cameroon’s Lobe Mine. The deal is part of China’s ongoing attempts to lessen its dependence on Australian iron ore, as it also diversifies its sourcing away from other major ...
China and 22 Francophone African Countries Talk Democracy
China recently convened an online seminar 22 French-speaking African countries to discuss democracy. The online meeting, on “The Exploration and Practice of Democracy in Chinese and African Legislative Bodies” drew in members of China’s National People’s Assembly, and about 90 African representatives.
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Jiang Zemin Created the Africa-China Relationship As We Know It Today
Chinese Demand for Illegal Rosewood Leads to Deforestation in Cameroon
Cameroon is just one of a growing number of African countries that is facing a deforestation crisis due in part to the trade in illegal Rosewood. Large organized crime syndicates are felling vast numbers of these prized trees, smuggling them across ...
VOA Report Criticizes Chinese Vaccines Using Many of the Same Propaganda Tactics That Chinese Used to Point Out Flaws in U.S. Jabs
There was widespread outrage in the U.S. last year when Chinese propaganda outlets and Foreign Ministry spokespeople issued false claims and sowed doubts over the safety of Pfizer vaccines. Now, it appears that the U.S. government-owned media is doing something similar, with poorly reported ...
While Everyone Focuses on Vaccine Distribution, China Appears to Be Ramping Up Donations of Medical Supplies Again
Chinese donations of PPE and other COVID-19-related medical supplies to African governments appear to be picking up again. In recent months China shifted its focus away from shipping masks, ventilators, and other materials to focus instead on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Huawei Fuss and Implications For Africa’s Cyber Security
The last decade has seen unprecedented advances in technology, from machine learning used to forecast patient health outcomes to renewable energy and biofuels adopted across a range of advanced, emerging, and developing market economies. While there is much bluster about machine learning, robotics, and data science, 5G ...
African Diplomats in China Are Spending a Lot More Time These Days Talking About The Belt and Road Initiative
Ethiopia's ambassador to China, Teshome Tog Chanaka, shared his enthusiasm on Twitter Tuesday about his participation in the latest forum on how to integrate Africa into the Belt and Road. The event was organized by the Algerian embassy and the Taihe Institute, an international policy ...