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: Gabon
Two Weeks After the Coup, It’s Business as Usual For Gabon’s Chinese Community
Other than a 6 p.m. curfew every night, daily life for most of the 3,000 Chinese expatriates in Gabon hasn't changed much since the military overthrew the government of longtime dictator Ali Bongo on August 30. A media worker for the ...
Gabon’s Coup Could Open Opportunities for China
China’s response to last week’s coup in Gabon kept to well-trodden themes. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Webin told reporters: “China is closely following the developments in Gabon. We call on relevant sides in the country to proceed from the fundamental interests of ...
Chinese Warships Dock in Gabon as Foreign Minister Holds Talks With Wang Yi in Beijing
A trio of Chinese warships will wrap up a four-day port of call to the small West African country of Gabon on Wednesday, capping several days of high-profile between the two countries. While the PLA Navy's 43rd Naval Escort Taskforce was docked ...
China-Gabon Relations Upgraded
China and Gabon's relationship has been upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, the main takeaway from President Ali Bongo Ondimba's state visit to Beijing. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The elevation of the relationship to a strategic level might worry the United States ...
Gabon President’s Trip to Beijing Highlights Two Important Trends in Chinese Diplomacy
The arrival of Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba in Beijing this week may seem at odds with the dozens of other leaders from much larger, far more powerful countries who've traveled to China this year to meet with President Xi Jinping. ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Awkward Timing as Italy Withdraws from BRI
With an Eye on China and Russia, Macron (Again) Tries to Reboot France’s Strategy in Africa
France needs to approach Africa with ‘profound humility’ to make up for its colonial past. This is the message from French President Emmanuel Macron, who is embarking on an African tour in part aimed at rejuvenating Paris’s engagement with a continent where its image remains shaped by its colonial ...
China’s Building Diplomacy in Africa Shows No Signs of Slowing in 2023
Add Gabon's Senate, known as Omar Bongo Ondimba Palace, to the long and growing list of African government buildings that will either be renovated or newly built using Chinese money and contractors. Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang alongside his Gabonese ...
Q&A: What Should Qin Gang Know About Africa and What Africans Should Know About China’s New Foreign Minister?
Qin Gang did not have a lot of time to prepare for his current tour of Africa, his first as foreign minister. The five-nation, week-long trip comes less than two weeks after he started his new job, so he's no doubt getting up to speed as are ...
Exposed: The Asian Companies Ruining West Africa’s Forests
West and Central Africa house some of the world’s last remaining old-growth rainforests. Asian timber companies are now driving widespread irresponsible logging, leaving ruined ecosystems in their wake. However, simply blaming ‘China’ for this destruction is unrealistic. The environmental ...
China’s Newest Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Makes Her Debut
China's Foreign Ministry's spokespeople have the tricky job of being the human faces of a frequently opaque system. So China nerds were a-Twitter this week following the debut of Mao Ning, the Ministry's newest representative.