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The News Feed is curated by CGSP’s editors in Asia and Africa.

Thailand’s Resumed Border Strikes on Cambodia Highlight Limits of U.S. Pressure, Chinese Scholars Say

The mother and relatives of Special Forces volunteer Mustakim Majehma, who died amid clashes along Cambodia-Thailand border, walk with his portrait during a military ceremony at Narathiwat airport in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat on December 14, 2025. Photo by MADAREE TOHLALA / AFP
Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint peace declaration at the ASEAN summit in late October, aimed at ending long-standing border disputes. Yet, less than two months later, Thai forces launched strikes on casinos and hotels ...
by Han Zhen

Automakers Seem the Target in Mexico–China Tariffs, but Small Exporters Take the Hardest Hit

BYD electric cars waiting to be loaded on a ship stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port at Suzhou Port, in China’s eastern Jiangsu Province. (Photo: AFP)
Most media coverage of Mexico’s new tariffs on Chinese goods has zeroed in on the obvious visible targets: automakers and auto parts, where duties climb as high as 50 percent. These sectors are capital-intensive, politically ...
by Han Zhen

U.S. Approves $11 Billion in Arms Sales to Taiwan: Taipei

Donald Trump's administration has given its approval to sell $11 billion of weapons to Taiwan, the second batch of such sales since the U.S. president returned to office, Taipei said on December 18, 2025. Photo by SAM YEH / AFP
Washington has approved $11 billion-worth of arms to Taiwan, Taipei said Thursday, announcing one of the largest weapons packages for the island as it seeks to deter a potential Chinese invasion. While Washington ...
by Agence France-Presse

PM Takaichi Says Japan ‘Always Open’ to Dialogue With China

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on December 17, 2025. Photo by KIYOSHI OTA / POOL / AFP
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday she is “always open” to dialogue with China despite a diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing over comments she made about Taiwan. “China is an ...
by Agence France-Presse

Talks in Iran Highlight Security Challenges with Afghanistan

A 2021 file image shows an earlier iteration of Afghanistan's Neighboring Countries meeting in Tehran, being remotely addressed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo by MORTEZA NIKOUBAZL / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP
Representatives from China joined counterparts from several Central and South Asian countries in Tehran to map new approaches to Afghanistan. However, the Afghan delegation did not attend. In addition to the host Iran, ...
by CGSP Staff

Panama Ports Deal Hits a Wall

An October 2025 file image of the Port of Balboa at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal in Panama City. Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP
The Trump administration’s efforts to lessen Chinese influence in the Panama Canal have reportedly hit an impasse. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Chinese government is demanding a majority stake for the Chinese ...
by CGSP Staff

Dozens of Chinese Nationals Detained After Attack on Indonesian Soldiers in Kalimantan

Indonesia is detaining dozens of Chinese nationals after an attack on soldiers at a gold mine in West Kalimantan, authorities said. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP)
Dozens of Chinese nationals are being held by Indonesian immigration authorities after an attack on soldiers and a civilian at a gold mine in West Kalimantan, on the Indonesian part of Borneo, ...
by Edwin Shri Bimo

China Pushes Gulf Cooperation Council to Conclude Free Trade Agreement

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi (F-L), Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (F-R). Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the Gulf Cooperation Council to conclude a free trade agreement that has been in discussion for decades. Wang’s meeting with Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General ...
by CGSP Staff

China and Jordan Discuss Closer Ties

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meeting with Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, December 15, 2025. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday, the conclusion of his trip to the Middle East. He also met with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. The ...
by CGSP Staff

China to Take Back Japan’s Last Two Giant Pandas

Giant panda Lei Lei is seen at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on Dec. 16, 2025. Tokyo authorities said Lei Lei and her twin brother, Xiao Xiao, will be returned to China in late January, with the final public viewing set for Jan. 25. (Kotaro Numata / Yomiuri / AFP)
China will soon take back its last two giant pandas on loan to Japan, leaving the country without any giant pandas on public display for the first time since 1972. The twin ...
by Edwin Shri Bimo

China Orders Banks and Commerce to Boost Consumption

People visit a shopping mall in Beijing on December 14, 2025. China orders banks to boost consumption, issuing a joint notice directing coordination with commerce as part of a domestic demand push.(Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
China orders banks and commerce officials to work more closely to boost consumption, directing coordination between financial institutions and commerce agencies as part of a domestic demand push. Consumption has been positioned ...
by Edwin Shri Bimo

Alibaba Founder Jack Ma Makes Surprise Appearance in Rwanda

Alibaba founder Jack Ma, together with Rwandan President Paul Kagame (upper left) along with Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang (upper right) and attended the Africa Business Heroes awards ceremony on December 13, 2025. Images via the Rwandan Presidency.
Jack Ma, the legendary Chinese tech mogul and founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba, made a surprise appearance in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Saturday to attend the African Business Heroes awards, which ...
by Eric Olander

China’s New Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Tours the Region

Chinese Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Hu Changchun, met with Egypt's Assistant Foreign Ministers Mohamed Gad (left), Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos during a tour of the region last week. Image credit to the Egyptian/Eritrean/Ethiopian Foreign Ministries.
China’s newly-appointed Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa (HoA), Hu Changchun, spent the past week visiting officials in Egypt, Eritrea, and Ethiopia as part of an introductory tour. Last month, Hu succeeded Beijing’s ...
by Eric Olander

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

The G20 Summit and the Half-Life of a Joke

When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...

China Issues Forceful Defense of South Africa’s Membership in G20

TOPSHOT - (From L to R): Deputy Chief of Staff of Russia's Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, China’s Premier Li Qiang, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union Joao Lourenco, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Argentinian Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno pose for a family picture during the G20 Leaders' Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on November 22, 2025. (Photo by Thomas Mukoya / POOL / AFP)
The Chinese government issued a forceful endorsement of South Africa’s membership in the G20, a move that will likely thwart the U.S. efforts to exclude the group’s only African member state from next ...
by Eric Olander

China’s Foreign Minister Courts Gulf Leaders Amid Regional Realignments

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaking with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday. Image via the Saudi News Agency.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday in Riyadh, where the two discussed bolstering the Kingdom’s ties with Iran. In 2023, China helped to broker ...
by CGSP Staff

Kidnapping of Chinese Influencer in South Africa Sparks Alarm Over “High-Profile Travel”

Selfie of popular Chinese travel influencer Lan Zhanfei who has more than 26 million social media followers and recently suffered a harrowing kidnapping during a visit to Cape Town, South Africa. Image via Lan Zhanfei.
A kidnapping in South Africa has sent shockwaves through China’s internet, not only because a Chinese traveler was violently targeted, but because the scheme appears to have been orchestrated with help from a Chinese national. ...
by Han Zhen

Chile’s Rightward Shift Signals New Risks for China in Latin America, Chinese Commentator Says

Chile's presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast (R), of the Partido Republicano party, and his wife Maria Pia Adriasola (L) wave national flags as they celebrate the results of the presidential runoff election in Santiago on December 14, 2025. Photo by EITAN ABRAMOVICH / AFP
As vote totals came in over the weekend in Chile’s presidential run-off election, Chinese social media began to anticipate what José Antonia Kast’s victory could mean for China. A WeChat account focusing on international affairs ...
by Han Zhen

Inside the Himalayas’ Last Living Trade Route

Nepalese merchants use mules and horses to carry goods across the mountains to Purang. Photo by interviewee via Southern Weekend
A recent in-depth feature published on the Guangzhou-based renowned newspaper Southern Weekly takes readers into Purang (Burang) on Tibet’s remote Ali Plateau, a tri-border junction between China, Nepal, and India, where one of the ...
by Han Zhen

Japan’s Only Two Pandas to Be Sent Back to China: Reports

Two pandas at a Tokyo zoo will be returned to China in January, Japanese media said on December 15, 2025, potentially leaving Japan without the beloved animals for the first time in half a century. Photo by BEHROUZ MEHRI / AFP
Two pandas at a Tokyo zoo will be returned to China in January, Japanese media said on Monday, potentially leaving Japan without the beloved animals for the first time in half a century. ...
by Agence France-Presse

Xi Jinping Says Efforts to ‘Choke’ China Cannot Succeed

China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on December 4, 2025. Xi Jinping says efforts to restrain China’s rise will fail, Beijing expects prolonged economic and technology pressure from the U.S.(Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier / POOL / AFP)
China’s leadership is signaling that U.S.-led economic and technology pressure will not change Beijing’s development course. President Xi Jinping made the remarks at the Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing last Thursday. ...
by Edwin Shri Bimo

Philippines Says Fishermen Injured in China Coast Guard Encounter

Philippine Coast Guard personnel treat three fishers allegedly injured by a China Coast Guard water canon near the disputed Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on December 12, 2025. Image via the Philippine Coast Guard
Three Filipino fishermen were injured when China Coast Guard vessels sprayed their boats with water cannons and cut their anchor lines in a disputed area of the South China Sea, Philippine authorities said ...
by Agence France-Presse

Xpeng in Talks with Malaysia’s EPMB for EV Production in 2026

Brian Gu, co-president of Xpeng Inc. in Hong Kong on May 17, 2024. China's EV maker Xpeng is in talks with Malaysia’s EPMB to start mass EV production in 2026, as Chinese automakers expand in Southeast Asia. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)
China’s EV maker Xpeng said Friday it is in negotiations to partner with Malaysia’s EP Manufacturing Bhd, or EPMB, to begin mass production of electric vehicles in Malaysia in 2026. The company ...
by Edwin Shri Bimo

Indonesia to Resume U.S. Tariff Talks After Reports Deal at Risk

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto in Jakarta on April 8, 2025. Indonesia resumes U.S. tariff talks after reports the July trade deal risked collapse, with China emerging as a key point of dispute. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)
Indonesia will send a negotiating team to Washington next week to resume tariff talks with the United States. Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said Friday The move follows reports that a ...
by Edwin Shri Bimo

U.S., Japan Defense Chiefs Say China Harming Regional Peace

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaking by phone with his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth on December 12, 2025. Image via the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
By Hiroshi Hiyama Beijing’s actions are “not conducive to regional peace”, Japan’s defense minister and U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth agreed during a call after Chinese aircraft locked radar on Japanese jets near Taiwan, ...
by Agence France-Presse

Chinese Detainees Riot in Thai Detention Center, 15 Charged

Chinese detainees riot in Mae Sot after fleeing Myanmar scam hubs, as Thai and Chinese authorities push deportation flights. (Photo: Facebook/Thai Immigration)
Hundreds of Chinese nationals accused of fleeing online scam hubs in Myanmar rioted inside a Thai immigration detention center Wednesday night. The Chinese detainees riot came as Thailand and China were stepping ...
by Edwin Shri Bimo

China’s Top Diplomat to Visit Middle East This Week

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on December 8, 2025. Photo by SOEREN STACHE / DPA / dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a tour of the Middle East on Friday for bilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Beijing said Thursday. Wang will visit ...
by Agence France-Presse

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nvidia China Deal Tests U.S. Export Rules

Photo by JAKUB PORZYCKI / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP
China convened representatives from 43 countries at the United Nations in New York to establish the Group of Friends of Global Governance, a group dedicated to the implementation of China’s Global Governance Initiative. In ...
by CGSP Staff

China and Brazil Build Space Laboratory

A 2024 file image of CETC's headquarters in Beijing. Photo by CFOTO / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP
Brazil has reportedly started building a joint lab with a Chinese company to advance space technology. A spokesperson for the Chinese defense tech company China Electronics Technology Group Corp (CETC) confirmed that ...
by CGSP Staff

China Releases New Policy for Latin America and the Caribbean

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after a signing ceremony and a joint press conference, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 13, 2025. (Photo by TINGSHU WANG / POOL / AFP)
The Chinese government released its third policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean on Wednesday. It follows earlier documents issued in 2008 and 2016. The document outlines cooperation plans across a ...
by CGSP Staff
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