Today is a public holiday in South Africa – Human Rights Day. There’s a certain irony in spending the day focusing on China’s President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vladimir Putin, knee-deep in a human rights disaster.
What one makes of the Ukraine crisis increasingly maps on where one lives. This is made clear by a remarkable new set of polling data recently published by the European Council on Foreign Relations ...
Country: United States of America
China Hints It May Not Back U.S. Nominee to Lead World Bank
Ajay Banga's candidacy to become the next president of the World Bank encountered turbulence when the Chinese government hinted that it would oppose his nomination. Banga spent the day in the Chinese capital on Wednesday, meeting with Finance Minister Liu Kun, ...
World Bank President Nominee in China for Critical Meetings With Finance Leaders
Ajay Banga arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for the latest stop in his worldwide job interview to become the next president of the World Bank. Banga is scheduled to meet with Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun, various leaders from the People's ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Xi Bets on Global South in Moscow
China Pushes Back at Outgoing World Bank President’s Criticism That Beijing Isn’t Doing Enough on Debt Relief
The Chinese government clapped back on Wednesday against renewed criticisms from outgoing World Bank President David Malpass that Beijing isn't moving fast enough to restructure debts in many of the world's poorest countries. Earlier this week, at a speech in New ...
World Bank Nominee Meets Head of China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
World Bank President-nominee Ajay Banga met with the head of the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on Wednesday during his brief trip to Beijing. The AIIB released a short statement after the meeting that said the two discussed "how the ...
Why the U.S. is Probably Quite Interested in the Equatorial Guinea Foreign Minister’s Visit to China
Equatorial Guinea (EG) Foreign Minister Simeón Oyono Esono Angue began a four-day visit to Beijing on Wednesday, where he will meet with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang. Normally, a visit like this from such a small country doesn't generate much interest from ...
The Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe Takes Aim at Remarks by Washington’s Ambassador-Designate to Harare
The Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe published a blistering response to comments made by U.S. Ambassador-designate Pamela Tremont during her Senate confirmation hearings last week in Washington, D.C. During questioning, Tremont was pressed by senators to contrast China's engagement in Zimbabwe with ...
Taiwan’s Next Challenge in the Americas: Paraguay
U.S. President Joe Biden dispatched his special envoy for the Americas, former senator Chris Dodd, to Honduras this weekend to convey the White House's displeasure with the government's decision to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. Dodd will also visit Panama ...
Three U.S. Regional Military Commanders Lay Out Their View of the China Challenge in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Three of the U.S. military's regional theater commanders for Asia, Africa and the Middle East spoke publicly last week in testimony and speeches that highlighted how the Pentagon now sees China as its top global challenge. The top commander of U.S. ...
China’s 3 Priorities in Africa According to the Top U.S. Military Commander for the Region
United States Marine Corps General Michael Langley made his first appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee as the top commander for U.S. forces in Africa or AFRICOM. Langley replaced Army General Stephen J. Townsend last year, who played a critical ...
How will China’s New Foreign Minister Shape Foreign Policy? Four Trends to Watch
Qin Gang, China’s incoming Foreign Minister, held his first press conference in early March. Coming during the Communist Party of China’s crucial Two Sessions gatherings, Qin’s debut outing was a high-profile event. It immediately drew attention to his warning that: “If the United States does not ...
Africa’s Role in China’s Evolving Geopolitical Priorities
It's been a momentous past two weeks for Chinese foreign policy with major a breakthrough in the Sri Lanka debt impasse and the landmark announcement that Beijing helped to broker the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Meantime, China ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Fresh off Sealing Iran-Saudi Deal, Chinese President Xi Jinping Next Heads to Russia
Fresh off his success in brokering a restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Chinese President Xi Jinping will next head to Russia. Xi reportedly plans to visit Moscow next week where he is widely expected to discuss Beijing's Ukraine peace proposal with his counterpart Vladimir ...