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: Saudi Arabia
WEEK IN REVIEW: Saudi Arabia to Mark Chinese President Xi Jinping’s State Visit Next Week With a China-Arab Summit
Saudi Arabia will mark Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit from 7 to 9 December with a China-Arab summit, according to Saudi diplomats. Invitations to Middle Eastern and North African leaders have reportedly already gone out. The summit will come at a delicate moment in U.S.-Saudi relations, which ...
Arab Media’s Cautious Coverage of the China COVID Protests
A number of news outlets across the Arab world acknowledged the ongoing protests in major Chinese cities, a somewhat surprising development given the sensitivities in these countries about large-scale anti-government demonstrations. Most of the coverage was restrained, simply stating the basic ...
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Said He’s “Not Aware” of Reports Xi Will Travel to Saudi Arabia Next Month
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian tried to tamp down mounting speculation that President Xi Jinping will travel to Saudi Arabia next month to attend a pair of summits. Zhao brushed aside a question on the issue from Reuters at the regular press briefing ...
Reports: Xi Expected to Travel to Saudi Arabia for December Summits
Chinese President Xi Jinping will reportedly travel to Saudi Arabia in December to attend a trio of Sino-Arab summits taking place in the Kingdom. The latest rumors about President Xi's purported trip surfaced late last week following the fourth round of talks ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: A Military Stand-off Between a Chinese-Run Mining Company and the DRC’s State-Owned Mining Giant Gécamines Heading to Arbitration
A military stand-off between a Chinese-run mining company and the DRC's state-owned mining giant Gécamines is heading to arbitration. Congolese army forces took control of two of the Australian-based, Chinese-controlled company MMG's mines in Haute Katanga. After the company's appeals to Congolese authorities went unanswered, MMG is now ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Jiang Zemin Created the Africa-China Relationship As We Know It Today
Annoyed With the U.S., Saudi Arabia Pivots to Asia
The steadily deteriorating ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia are coinciding with what appears to be a concerted shift by the Kingdom to foster closer ties with Asia's largest powers, namely China, India, and South Korea. On Friday, Saudi ...
South Korea’s Growing Reliance on Saudi Oil Could Make It Vulnerable in the Event of a Taiwan Conflict
South Korea imported 31 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil last month, up 30% compared to the same time last year, according to new data from the Korea Customs Service. Today, South Korea is Asia's ...
How the U.S. Should Respond to China’s Growing Military Presence in the Middle East and North Africa
The latest U.S. National Security Strategy released this month singled out China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge," and nowhere is that contest more on display than in the Middle East. After decades of fighting wars in the region and cozying up ...
Arab Barometer: Arab Publics Favorable Views of China Decline the More They Learn About Chinese Foreign Policy
Two of the lead researchers at Princeton University's Arab Barometer public opinion survey project shared some additional insights about the findings from their 2021 poll on how people in the MENA region perceive the United States and China. Michael Robbins, director ...
China Continues Gulf Diplomacy
China’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deng Li, met with ambassadors from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries on Monday. Envoys from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and other member countries joined the meeting, which reportedly touched on the ongoing crisis in Yemen, among other (unspecified) topics.