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Ghanaian security forces arrested 164 people last week in a new crackdown on the illegal small-scale gold mining known as "galamsey." Many of those detained are foreigners, mostly from West African countries but none from China.

The government's renewed efforts to curtail rampant illegal mining come in response to the recent re-arrest of Chinese national Aisha Huang, aka "the Galamsey Queen." Huang's connections within the government and business community apparently allowed her to re-enter the country and continue mining illegally even after she was deported in 2018. This revelation has been a huge embarrassment for the government.

Separately, a representative from Ghana's water agency, GWCL, appeared on national television this weekend to warn that years of rampant unregulated mining are now threatening the country's water supply and may require the government to import water from abroad.

SUGGESTED READING:

• GhanaWeb: Is this government scared of the Chinese government? – Kwame Jantuah
• GhanaWeb: Aisha Huang called me from China after 2018 deportation – Effah Darteh

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's top security official, Cheng Guoping, met with security analysts in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month to tout Beijing's "achievements in countering anti-terrorism and de-radicalization in Xinjiang."

Cheng was joined by Xinjiang Public Security Bureau officials and administrators from the special administration government to discuss what they described as "counter-terrorism security concerns and measures."

The meeting highlights how in many parts of the Middle East and Africa, China not only doesn't feel defensive about its controversial policies in Xinjiang but is actively promoting its measures in the region to receptive audiences.

This relatively friendly reception stands in contrast to how Xinjiang is now being framed in the UN. China's policies "may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity," according to a recent report published by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

China has quietly distributed more than $30 billion in so-called "emergency loans" to financially-distressed developing countries in recent years, according to new data compiled by AidData. Details of the loans have not been publicized but analysts believe they're intended to help borrowers avoid defaulting on Chinese-financed infrastructure loans in BRI countries. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Argentina are the top recipients. (FINANCIAL TIMES)

South African motorists will have to pay much more for imported Chinese tires after the government imposed a 39% tariff. The move was in response to complaints by the SA Tyre Manufacturers Conference which represents both South African and international tire makers that Chinese importers were selling at below market rates that were described as "predatory." Almost half of all imported tires to SA come from China. (NEWS 24)

China Southern Airlines will resume direct flights next month to Iran for the first time in two years. The carrier suspended its route between the Xinjiang capital Urumqi and Tehran due to the COVID pandemic but now plans to revive the flight beginning October 9th. For now, there are only plans for a weekly Sunday flight but company officials said they'd be open to increasing the frequency if the demand is there. (SIMPLE FLYING)

Argentina formally applied to join the BRICS cooperation and trade block made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The application was submitted to China (the current BRICS chair) by its ambassador who said joining the group is a ‘historic opportunity.’ (MERCOPRESS)

China’s embassy in Cambodia has warned PRC nationals to stay away from offers of high-paid employment because they could be fronts for gangs practicing human trafficking and cybercrime. Cambodian authorities have rescued 865 trafficking victims this year. (PHNOM PENH PRESS)

Five officers of Angola’s National Authority for Economic Inspection and Food Security were arrested after trying to extort 5 million kwanzas (about $11,700) from a group of Chinese traders. (READ ANGOLA -- in Chinese and Portuguese)

Japan and India wrapped up week-long naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal. It's the latest indication of growing concern between the two Quad members about China's increased assertiveness in the region.  The maritime drills followed last week's high-level security talks between the two countries. Next, security officials from New Delhi and Tokyo said they're planning joint fighter jet exercises. (KYODO NEWS)

The Chinese and Indian armies confirmed on Tuesday that each other's forces fully withdrew from a small portion of the disputed border region known as the Line of Actual Control.  The two sides agreed last week to disengage from an area known as Patrol Point-15 to create a 2-4km buffer zone free of soldiers, heavy armor, and temporary structures. Many analysts believe this minor detente is aimed at easing relations ahead of a possible meeting between the two leaders later this week at the SCO summit in Uzbekistan. (HINDUSTAN TIMES)

New Zealand said it will join an upcoming ministerial meeting of the five-nation Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in  New York. The U.S.-initiated PBP also includes Australia, Japan, and the UK, and was launched in June ostensibly to counter China's growing influence in the South Pacific. Wellington seems to be a reluctant member as it has argued that concerns about China and broader security issues should be discussed at the more inclusive Pacific Islands Forum. (NEWS HUB)

Google is reportedly planning to move the production of its Pixel smartphone from China to India. Current plans are to move up to 20% of annual production, as a response to ongoing COVID lockdowns in China. (SEEKING ALPHA)

China’s embassy in the Philippines has urged more police protection of Chinese nationals against kidnapping. Many of the kidnappings are related to the online gambling sector, which targets Chinese communities and also has a human trafficking problem. However, the police are questioning the number of cases. (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST) 

International bondholders are complaining that the IMF’s new debt restructuring deal for Zambia includes “arbitrary” targets and excludes domestic debt. Bondholders hold about 45% of Zambia’s total debt, and how they work with the country’s Chinese bilateral creditors is being closely watched by other indebted countries. (REUTERS)

While a possible Xi-Putin meeting dominates the headlines, another conversation on the SCO sidelines in Samarkand could signal a headache for Western powers. Speculation is mounting that President Xi could also meet with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The recent withdrawal of Chinese and Indian troops from a section of their contested border is being seen as a signal that the meeting will take place after Indian diplomats reportedly told their Chinese counterparts that Modi’s attendance is subject to the easing of border tensions.

Why Modi's Trip to Uzbekistan Will Make Western Powers Anxious:

• CHINA: Increased friendliness between China and India would throw a wrench into Western attempts to use India as a hedge. Despite concerns about Hindu nationalism in India, it plays a big symbolic role in the Biden administration's larger strategy of pitting Global South democracies against China and raises complications around India's membership of the Quad, a grouping aimed at containing Chinese influence.

• RUSSIA: India has joined China in buying large amounts of Russian oil, undercutting Western sanctions. Modi indicated India’s willingness to cooperate with Russia on projects last week at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, which China also attended. These warm signals come as India is resisting the G7’s attempts to put price caps on Russian oil.

• IRAN: There are speculations in the Indian press that Modi could also meet with Iranian officials on the SCO sidelines. The meeting will pressure the U.S. as talks are underway to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal. Iran's coming full membership of the SCO and closer relations with powers like India and China will give Tehran additional leverage.  

At present, it's unclear if these moves are signaling a conclusive shift in Indian foreign policy or another iteration of its strategic neutrality, which frequently aims at providing Delhi with maximum options while keeping all its external partners a little unhappy.

It should also be noted that the Chinese Foreign Ministry has so far confirmed neither the Putin nor the Modi meeting.

SUGGESTED READING:
The Print:Why Modi is Catching a Plane to Samarkand. Xi is Falling in Line on LAC by Jhoti Malhotra
BBC:Modi at SCO: India-China Ties Under Spotlight at Key Security Summit by Zoya Mateen

India’s prominence at the SCO summit comes at a delicate moment for the United States as India moves to limit its participation in the new U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

Indian officials said it will not join IPEF’s trade agreement, one of four core areas of cooperation between the U.S. and Asian economies like India, Japan and South Korea, because it opens developing economies up to discrimination. 

China's state press wrongly framed the announcement as India walking away from IPEF completely. But even if that's not true, the move puts significant new pressure on the as-yet-unproven IPEF block.

Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has poured gasoline on the controversy around the recent re-arrest of En (aka Aisha) Huang, a Chinese national accused of returning to Ghana to engage in illegal gold mining despite being deported four years ago for similar crimes. 

The president mused: "I'm not still sure whether she (Aisha Huang) was in fact deported or whether she fled the country the first time, and has now come back"

The comment caused an immediate media firestorm, only one of the indications that the scandal could be bad news for Akufo-Addo's administration: 

Why the Aisha Huang Scandal Could Hit Ghana's Government:

• GALAMSEY LEGACY: Akufo-Addo made fighting galamsey (illegal small-scale gold mining) a personal issue, famously saying, “I am prepared to put my presidency on the line on this matter.” The controversy is now forcing him to do just that.

• GOVERNANCE: The controversy is raising serious questions about possible corruption and/or massive incompetence among Ghana's officialdom. Akufo-Addo's admission that he was unsure whether she was really deported echoes allegations of widespread mismanagement of the deportation process.

China's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Chen Xu, read out a forceful rebuttal on Tuesday to the United Nations Human Rights Council's latest report that documented human rights violations in Xinjiang.

There was nothing new in Chen's statement as he restated the same denunciations that numerous other Chinese officials have made since the report was released on August 31st, calling it a "so-called assessment" by the UNHCR and dismissing it as a "smear campaign" against China.

What was interesting, though, was that only 20 other countries backed the Chinese on the statement, far fewer than previous statements. In June, for example, 69 developing countries signed a joint statement supporting "China's territorial integrity" and in 2020, Beijing rallied 45 countries to sign on to a statement that supports "China's counter-terrorism and deradicalization measures in Xinjiang."

Twenty are notably fewer than the number of countries that supported previous joint statements in support of China's actions in Xinjiang and other territorial issues, including Tibet and Hong Kong. Although a full list of the countries that did sign is still not publicly available, Reuters reported that both Egypt and Pakistan were among the signatories.

It's not immediately clear what may have prompted most of the other developing countries that have long supported China on this issue to sit on the sidelines this time. One possibility is that geopolitical conditions are far tenser today than they were even just a few months ago, so the cost for many developing countries of getting involved in such a contentious issue just isn't worth it anymore.

A first batch of 2.04 tons of raw Kenyan coffee beans arrived in the southern Chinese city of Changsha this week, marking the opening of yet another new market for Kenyan agricultural exports in China.

The shipment arrived on Friday on Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight operating as a new air bridge between Addis Ababa and Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.

Last month, Kenyan avocados finally arrived on Chinese store shelves after years of painstaking market entry negotiations.

SUGGESTED READING:

• Hunan Channel: Hunan imports African coffee beans for the first time by Li Saifeng, Lin Jun, Luo Liang (in Chinese)
• Xinhua: New air cargo route links Changsha, Addis Ababa

China's newly-named Special Representative for African Affairs, Ambassador Liu Yuxi, represented Beijing at this week's swearing-in ceremony for Kenyan President William Ruto and the two later met for talks. No word on what was on the agenda.

It’s finally been confirmed: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first foreign visit since the beginning of the pandemic will be to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week.

In addition to state visits, he’ll also attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand on 15 and 16 September. The official announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t mention whether he’ll meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as widely predicted.

Now the focus shifts to the agenda of the SCO summit, which includes the addition of Iran as a member and Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia as dialogue partners with a view to full membership.

The summit is also expected to focus on closer cooperation with the Middle East and the sidelining of the US dollar in transactions between members.

New revelations about how En (Aisha) Huang, Ghana’s so-called Queen of Galamsey (illegal small-scale gold mining), managed to make her way back to the country despite being deported are adding political heat to an already red-hot controversy.

A member of parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, posted new details on Facebook that rebut earlier allegations that China pressured the Ghanaian government not to prosecute Huang. 

Rather, Ablakwa claims that the Chinese government had only been informed of her deportation two days after it happened and that there is no evidence that China lobbied Accra to release her. 

New Details About Ghana's 'Queen of Galamsey' Scandal:

• DEPORTATION IRREGULARITIES: Ablakwa also claims that the usual protocol for deportations wasn’t followed. In his post, he said government officials didn’t escort her, nor was she formally handed over to the Chinese authorities when she landed.

• CHINESE BUSINESS RESPONSE: Meanwhile, two Chinese business organizations in Ghana put out a statement praising Huang’s arrest and calling for all foreigners to comply with Ghanaian law. They also managed to name-check the One China Principle in their statement.

• APOLOGY: The head of an association representing artisanal miners apologized for claiming that illegal Chinese miners enjoy support from the Office of the President. Michael Kwadwo Peprah said earlier in a radio interview that some illegal miners have presidential stickers on their cars that shield them from police interference.

SUGGESTED READING:

• GhanaWeb: Okudzeto Ablakwa Makes Four 'Explosive Findings' on the Aisha Huang Scandal
• NewsGhana: Chinese Associations Urge Expatriates to Work Within the Laws of Ghana

The Chinese embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo convened a meeting this weekend with several Congolese government ministries, including the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior, as well as immigration officials and the General Administration of the Police, to discuss ongoing attacks against Chinese residents in the country. 

The China-Congo Security Joint Conference is a response to a wave of kidnappings, assaults, and robberies of Chinese citizens throughout the DRC. It aimed to strengthen coordination and information-sharing between the two governments and to boost support of Congolese law enforcement. They’re also planning to set up a reporting mechanism for Chinese expatriates. 

Several such high-profile meetings have taken place in African countries over the last few months in response to a wave of violent crime.

In an unrelated incident, a Chinese businessperson barely escaped being kidnapped in South Africa this week, amid reports that Indian and Pakistani business owners are also being targeted. 

The Defense Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo met with high-level officials from the Chinese embassy, including the military attache, to discuss possible Chinese support for the development of the DRC’s military industry.

This follows the release of a new policy document aimed at boosting the defense sector amid public security challenges and border conflict. (CONGO TODAY)

Chinese car brands like Chery and Haval are outselling traditional favorites like Mercedes Benz and Ford in the South African market. Both brands sold more than a thousand cars in July, far beyond Western competitors. 

Read more on the News24 website

After months of steadily deteriorating ties between India and China, a partial pullback by military forces from both countries high in the Himalayas is a welcome bit of good news. The move may also be a precursor to a possible meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Both militaries agreed to disengage at a key friction point along the disputed border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Each side will pull back its troops and armor to create a new buffer zone that extends between two and four kilometers. 

That realignment is expected to be completed by the end of the day on Monday. But this shouldn't be seen as an armistice, given that tensions on both sides of the disputed border remain very high. India accuses the PLA Air Force of conducting repeated illegal incursions, prompting New Delhi to redeploy troops from its Pakistani border to the LAC. 

Limited Engagement in the Otherwise Tense Sino-Indian Relationship

• MILITARY: Chinese and Indian militaries together participated in last week's Vostok military exercises in Russia's far east. (REUTERS)

• RUSSIA: China and India last quarter purchased $9 billion of Russian oil, showing that they're at least aligned on snapping up discounted Russian crude while brushing aside objections from the U.S. and Europe. (BUSINESS INSIDER)

• MULTILATERALS: India remains an enthusiastic participant in Chinese-led multilateral organizations, as evidenced by PM Modi's attendance at this week's SCO summit and regular engagement at BRICS meetings. India is also one of the top recipients of loans from the Shanghai-based New Development Bank. (REPUBLIC WORLD)

Sales in the U.S. of the advanced F-35 fighter jet were shut down after it was discovered that a magnet in the plane contained an alloy made with cobalt that was processed in China.

It's against the law in the U.S. for the Defense Department (DoD) to purchase advanced weapons systems like the F-35 that contain Chinese-sourced materials. The cobalt in question was likely also extracted from a Chinese-controlled mine in the DR Congo.

Because this particular magnet apparently doesn't pose a security threat, the DoD is applying for a waiver from the procurement law to allow deliveries of the jet to resume.

The president of the Chinese chamber of commerce in the Philippines is pleading for authorities to do more to protect the local Chinese community following a spate of recent kidnappings. Lujin Ang Shengcheng (卢金·昂声称) said at least 56 people have been abducted in the past 10 days and called on the police to step up enforcement.

But local law enforcement officials disputed the allegation, claiming there've only been 27 abductions this year, with 15 already solved.

The discrepancy between the two sides may be over the origins of the alleged attackers. Philippine National Police officials claim that Chinese assailants, not Filipinos are responsible for the violence, which may explain why so many of the incidents haven't been reported.

SUGGESTED READING:

• Philippines Network: 56 kidnappings in the Philippines in 10 days! The kidnappers are all Chinese (in Chinese)
• Philippines Network: Philippine National Police reassess its aggressiveness in chasing criminals amid kidnappings (in Chinese)

Chinese President Xi Jinping will reportedly travel to two Central Asian states later this month to mark his formal return to international diplomacy. The Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan said on Monday that President Xi will first travel to Nur-Sultan before heading to neighboring Uzbekistan for a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Council on September 15 and 16th. There is also speculation President Xi will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. (FINANCIAL TIMES)

There's growing concern over the impact that China's slumping currency will have on already beleaguered emerging market economies. The devalued RMB, now trading precariously close to the psychologically important mark of 7 to the dollar, will reduce the cost of Chinese exports -- bad news for manufacturers in Africa, Asia and the Americas. “The impact will be felt the most by nations which compete directly with China on exports,” said Per Hammarlund, the chief emerging markets strategist at Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB.(BLOOMBERG)

Chinese contractors in Nigeria have suspended work on the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern rail line due to mounting security concerns and vandalism. Transportation MinisterAlhaji Mu’azu Jaji Sambo made the announcement during a recent site inspection and explained the work stoppage was brought on by attacks on workers from the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company. (NIGERIAN TRIBUNE)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry refused to confirm reports that President Xi Jinping will travel to Central Asia later this month in what will potentially be his first overseas trip since the beginning of the pandemic. Spokesperson Mao Ning avoided a direct question on the topic at Tuesday's press briefing in Beijing. On Monday, both the Kazakh and Uzbek governments said the President would travel to their countries beginning on September 14th.(CHINA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS)

Saudi Arabia's state-controlled oil major Saudi Aramco cut the price of its popular Arab Light grade oil for customers in Asia, in what is the latest indication of China's slowing economy. Saudi Arabia is China's second-largest oil supplier behind Russia and much of the crude that Chinese buyers import from Saudi Arabia is used to power industrial production.  (BLOOMBERG)

Indian and Chinese military forces took part in Russia's week-long Vostok 2022 war games that got underway on Tuesday. While President Vladimir Putin's attendance captured most of the headlines, it's equally newsworthy that both Indian and Chinese troops participated in the event, marking an unusual instance of cooperation between the two feuding Asian powers. In all, 50,000 troops and 5,000 weapons are involved in the joint exercise. (THE MOSCOW TIMES)

Russia's ambassador to China told reporters that President Xi Jinping will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan next week. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry still hasn't confirmed the trip, which would be Xi’s first time to leave the country since the pandemic. (CNN)

The United States kicks off a meeting of thirteen Asian countries today in Los Angeles. The meeting is the next step in its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework initiative, aimed at containing Chinese influence in the region. Details about the new cooperation agreement have been thin, but greater access to U.S. markets is not on the table. (BLOOMBERG)

The Japanese carmaker Honda will set up a joint venture with Chinese partners aimed at facilitating sales of e-vehicle batteries from the Chinese battery maker CATL. The move seems to echo recent battery deals made by Ford and Tesla.(ELECTRIVE)

The following is a transcript of a seven-part Twitter thread written by World Politics Review Associate Editor Chris Olaoluwa Ògúnmọ́dẹdé on what he believes the U.S. doesn't understand about why African governments choose to engage with China.

Because U.S. perceptions of the ideas and preferences underlining Africa-China relations are skewed, it fails to spot the (many) areas of weakness. It also can't offer a credible value proposition, since US policy ends up being at odds with views & developments on the continent.

As I've written about too many times, to say nothing of Africa-China specialists from the continent and elsewhere, African countries don't see ties with China as the be-all and end-all of their foreign relations.

It's a crucial relationship, for sure, but by no means the only one.

Also, and as I constantly feel the need to reiterate, Africa is a continent of 54 countries and an estimated 1.4 billion with different views, cultures and political systems. The U.S. gets so much wrong in its engagement with the continent, but guess what? So does China!

Africans want infrastructure projects and industrialization, for sure. They desire "softer" items like loans and scholarships. But systems and processes also matter to them. It's not binary, but when forced to see it as such, they mostly see only China following through.

All the evidence available suggests that Africans see the merits and drawbacks of the two countries' approaches. They also want better relations w/ both. But because they believe only one side (China) makes a credible effort to improve, Beijing's arguments resonate better by default.

To be sure, Washington's continuous sniping from the side about "China in Africa" has some salience, not least because of Chinese shortcomings on the continent. But inevitably, Africans can *see* evidence of much they like about relations with China.

And that's where Washington's great-power framework will run into trouble on the continent, "Africa strategy" notwithstanding. Africans don't want binaries, but if forced to take a side, they're likely to lean toward those who they believe can be trusted.

Read the thread of Chris Olaoluwa Ògúnmọ́dẹdé's Twitter page.

The re-arrest of a Chinese national deported from Ghana in 2018 for illegal small-scale gold mining (known in Ghana as galamsey) is causing a media sensation and raising many embarrassing questions.

Reporting about the arrest of En (aka Aisha) Huang has now moved to how she managed to acquire a national ID card despite being arrested and deported four years earlier. 

Why the Aisha Huang Incident is Awkward for the Ghanaian Government:

• RE-ENTRY: Huang reportedly entered the country through an official immigration checkpoint. Government spokespeople tried to turn this into a success story, pointing out that the re-entry triggered investigations that eventually led to her arrest.

• IDENTITY CARD: However, the revelation that she managed to acquire a new national identity card under a fake name, even though her biometric details were already on the system, has led to media investigations and derision online. Ghana's National Identification Authority has denied issuing the new card, raising questions about possible corruption within the system.

• BUSINESSES: It also turns out that several businesses owned by Huang kept running, despite her deportation in 2018. Embarrassingly, the government wasn't aware the businesses were still running. They have apparently all been shut down now. 

Huang and three other Chinese nationals have pleaded not guilty to charges of unlicensed mining and mineral trade. Their trial is expected to start on September 14. 

SUGGESTED READING:  

• GhanaWeb: How Aisha Huang Got Her Ghana Card
• MyJoy Online: 'Aisha Huang Does Not Exist in Our System' - NIA Denies Issuing Ghana Card 

The Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD will set up its first production facility in Thailand.

The move is expected to put pressure on other manufacturers who are also foregrounding Thai business due to a coming government subsidy expected to boost the sales of electric vehicles. (NIKKEI ASIA)

A broad cross-section of the international financial community is warning that Sri Lanka's major creditors must move quickly to restructure the country's debts or else full-scale economic collapse is inevitable.

The latest warning signal came from the Hong Kong office of Fitch Ratings which cautioned that Colombo would have to default again on a portion of its debt obligations, this time local bonds, unless the debt restructuring process speeds up. 

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki last Friday implored Sri Lanka's other major bilateral creditors, specifically India and China, to meet right away to discuss a restructuring deal. Japan and China each own about 10% of Sri Lanka's external debt.

But despite Tokyo's urgent appeal, it does not appear that either New Delhi or Beijing is keen to move quickly as neither has so far responded.

Why is the Debt Situation in Sri Lanka Different Than In Zambia?

• GEOPOLITICS: Getting China and its rivals India and Japan to agree on anything these days is difficult, and even more so under duress. China and India are both suspicious of the other's intentions in Sri Lanka, while Beijing's historically bitter ties with Tokyo make it politically difficult for Xi Jinping to acquiesce to any Japanese demands, especially now in the run-up to the 20th Party Congress.

• NO G20 FRAMEWORK: China likes the structure of the G20's Common Framework (CF) that Zambia employed to restructure its external debt. This is, in part, why China also embraced Ethiopia's debt restructuring process that will also take place as part of the CF. But Sri Lanka didn't sign up for the CF and so there's no formal process other than through the IMF to negotiate a settlement. This might explain, in part, Beijing's apparent reluctance to take the lead in Sri Lanka as it did in Zambia.

SUGGESTED READING:

• The Sankei Shimbun: Aid Sri Lanka, But Ask to Eliminate China’s Influence on Military, Politics by the Editorial Board
• Reuters: Sri Lanka has an IMF deal, now it courts China and India by Marc Jones and Uditha Jayasinghe

Aisha Huang made a stunning reappearance in Ghana this week when she appeared in an Accra circuit court with three accomplices to face charges of illegal mining.

Huang is one of the most famous characters in Ghana's years-long effort to combat illegal mining. In the 2010s, Huang was known as the "Galamsey Queen" for her large-scale illegal mining operations in Ghana. After she was arrested and later convicted, the government deported her back to China, where she apparently changed her identity and snuck back into Ghana.

The significance of this case is that it undermines the long-established practice in many African countries of convicted Chinese nationals being deported rather than forced to serve their jail sentences in the country where they committed the offense. It will be interesting to watch what happens to Huang if she's convicted for a second time and whether the court requires her to complete her sentence in Ghana. (GRAPHIC ONLINE)

China's ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Deng Xijun, published a scathing op-ed in The Jakarta Post on Tuesday aimed at debunking the recently published report on Xinjiang by the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Deng said the OHCHR report was an "illegal document" filled with "lies" and was part of a U.S. "scheme" to discredit China.

None of Deng's arguments are new. Other Chinese diplomats have made the same rebuttal countless times. What's interesting, though, is the fact that he's making such a forceful case in the influential Jakarta Post newspaper, Indonesia's largest English-language newspaper, in the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

China has been very effective in keeping influential Muslim countries like Indonesia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the Xinjiang issue.

The strident tone of Deng's column also speaks to the confidence among Chinese representatives when presenting their case on Xinjiang and the issue of Muslim human rights in countries where that's often a very sensitive issue in other contexts (e.g., when it involves the mistreatment of Muslims by the United States, Israel or India).

Read the full column on The Jakarta Post website.

Chinese embassies in Africa organized the first-ever #ChinaAfricaSpaceTalk on Tuesday that connected young people across the continent with three astronauts aboard the Chinese Space Station.

The event, organized in conjunction with the African Union, was an undeniable public diplomacy success as it generated significant positive news coverage in local African and MENA media and social media.

The three astronauts fielded questions about whether they could see the Sahara desert from space, what kind of food they eat and whether female astronauts receive any preferential treatment.

SUGGESTED READING AND VIEWING:

• CGTN: China Space Station: Shenzhou-14 taikonauts talk with African youths by Cao Qingqing
• Xinhua: Chinese astronauts talk from space with African youth