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: Iran
Algeria is the Latest Developing Country to Get in Line to Join the BRICS Group
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially submitted its application this week to become a new member of the BRICS club. Algeria now joins a growing list of developing countries, including Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, that all want to join the Chinese-initiated group. ...
One of China’s Leading Mideast Scholars Expresses Sympathy For Iranian Protestors, Testing the Limits of What’s Acceptable in His Own Country
One of China's most prominent Mideast scholars, Fan Hongda from the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, is expressing solidarity with anti-government protestors in Iran on social media. At the same time, he's pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable online speech for a Chinese ...
The SCO Reaches the Mediterranean
By Leonardo Bruni Iran joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has led to a flurry of analyses from across the wider Mediterranean. Divergent perspectives emerge between foreign media coverage, which emphasize international security implications, and what domestic Iranian media reports that ...
India’s Air Force Commander Provides New Details on the Hijacking Hoax Involving China-bound Airliner
New details are emerging about what happened when the captain of an Iranian airliner called in a bomb threat on Monday en route to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. In the end, it turned out to be a false alarm as ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Namibia Is Emerging as a Key Lithium Producer for the Chinese Market
Namibia is emerging as a key lithium producer for the Chinese market. In August, 25,000 tons of the strategic metal were shipped from the Port of Walvis Bay with another 50,000 tons prepped to leave later this month. Namibian authorities also want to position Walvis Bay as a ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Jiang Zemin Created the Africa-China Relationship As We Know It Today
The China-Mediterranean Observer: How China looks at the Med
The most interesting articles published in Chinese media in August revolve around the future of the Iranian nuclear deal and, more broadly, Iran’s role in the Middle East. Chinese experts also commented on the end of France’s Operation Barkhane in Mali, as well as the rising great ...
What Did Speculation About Xi’s Fictitious Trip to Saudi Arabia Tell Us About China’s Broader Mideast Strategy
By Leonardo Bruni Earlier this month, the internet was rife with speculation that Xi Jinping would soon break his more than two-year-long hiatus from overseas travel to visit Saudi Arabia. Although the visit did not take place, the media buzz surrounding ...
China’s Volleyball Team Takes No Chances
If you were still wondering, after months of lockdowns, China isn't messing around when it comes to COVID-19 protocols. Case in point: the Chinese national women's volleyball team competed in a game against Iran at the Asian Games in the Philippines ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China will Remove Import Duties From 98% of Products Imported From 16 Low-Income Countries
China will remove import duties from 98% of products imported from 16 low-income countries from the beginning of September, according to the Ministry of Finance. They include African countries like Togo, Mozambique, Chad, and Rwanda, as well as several Pacific Island states, and Asian developing economies like Cambodia and ...
Iran to Become Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member by 2023
Iran will become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in April 2023, according to the Chinese state newspaper Global Times. Iran has lobbied to join the Eurasia-spanning group for more than a decade, ...