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CGSP Podcasts

Weekly discussions with key thought leaders about China’s engagement in Africa and the Global South.

How China’s Economic Slowdown Impacts Developing Countries

The Chinese economy is in trouble. Exports, manufacturing output, and investment are all down. Unemployment, particularly among young people is up. Provincial debt is now at a record $8 trillion while a burgeoning property crisis has eliminated a once reliable source ...

Chinese Lending to Africa Plunges to 20-Year Low

Chinese lending to African countries plunged to below a billion dollars in 2022, the lowest level in two decades, according to new data from the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University. The findings confirm that the era of Beijing financing ...

The Downward Spiral of China-India Relations

There was a glimmer of hope last month that China and India would pull back from their increasingly contentious standoff when military commanders concluded talks along their disputed border on a somewhat optimistic note. The hope was that these talks would ...

WEEK IN REVIEW: AU in G20 and the New “Chinese Savior” Narrative in Africa

The Chinese Foreign Ministry was among the first major governments this week to welcome the African Union as the newest member of the G20. The big question now is what will the AU do now that it has a seat at ...

BRI @ 10: Lessons From Cambodia About Chinese Investment

China's Belt and Road Initiative marked its 10th anniversary this month, prompting a lot of discussion about what's next for Beijing's controversial development agenda. While BRI spending in Africa and the Americas has plummeted in recent years that is not the ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Philippine Coastguard Removes Chinese South China Sea Barrier

The Philippine coastguard successfully removed a 300-meter floating barrier placed by the Chinese coastguard to bar access to the South China Sea’s Scarborough Shoal.
This follows an outcry in Manila during the weekend when images emerged of the barrier and Chinese coastguard patrols being used to keep Philippine fishing vessels out. 

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Why Boosting Africa-Southeast Asian Trade & Investment Makes So Much Sense

There's been a surge of activity in Africa-ASEAN relations in recent weeks highlighted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo's recent African tour and the Singapore-Africa Business Forum that took place earlier this month in the Lion City. Closer trade and investment ties ...

China’s Indispensable Role in Africa’s Railway Renaissance

Over the past 20 years, tens of thousands of kilometers of new railway lines have been built across Africa - much of it constructed and financed by China. But the days when Beijing paid big bucks to build these kinds of ...

China and the Politics of Global Climate Diplomacy

The failure of G20 countries last month to agree on a plan to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 highlights a key problem in the ongoing debate over how to respond to climate change: the institutions that are designed to help ...

Africa’s Prominent Role in the New “BRICS6”

The once lifeless BRICS bloc got a big boost of energy this week with the addition of six new members including two additional African states from Egypt and Ethiopia. Together, African countries will now account for nearly a third of the ...

China’s New, Slimmed-Down Belt & Road Initiative

China's critics contend the Belt and Road Initiative is dead or dying due to a mix of gross mismanagement and hubris. The data, however, reveals a very different story. While lending has definitely decreased considerably from its peak in 2016, the ...

BRICS Leaders Summit Preview

The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed President Xi Jinping will travel to South Africa to attend the upcoming BRICS summit, the first time he'll visit Africa since 2018. Xi will be joined by three other of the group's leaders along with Russian ...

Pivot to Asia: Why the Near Abroad is Now China’s Top Priority

For much of the past 20 years, China sought to radically expand its presence beyond its traditional spheres of influence to new regions in Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. China lent billions to countries in these regions and devoted ...

China’s Low-Key Response to the Niger Coup

The Chinese government has been noticeably quiet in response to the turbulent events in Niger where President Mohamed Bazoum was deposed last month in a military coup. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued three pro-forma ...

Nigerians’ (Misplaced) Anxiety About Chinese Debt

For years, Nigerian politicians and media reports have issued breathless warnings about the dangers of becoming too indebted to China, fearing the dreaded "debt trap" and the risk of surrendering the country's strategic assets. While ...

Is China Setting the Agenda for Global South Debt Restructuring?

In June, Zambia reached what's been described as a landmark debt restructuring deal that for the first time brought together the country's bilateral creditors including China, traditional Paris Club lenders and bondholders. While the deal ...
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