CGSP Podcasts
Weekly discussions with key thought leaders about China’s engagement in Africa and the Global South.
podcast
South Africa's Inexplicable Love Affair with China
While the recent economic turmoil in China is prompting a number of African countries to reconsider their growing economic dependence on the PRC, not so in South Africa. Both the government and the ruling African National Congress ...
The China Economy: What Lessons for Africa?
When African policymakers scan the globe in search of inspiration on how to structure their economies, that search often leads to Beijing. Not surprisingly, African leaders look at what China has done over the past 30 years ...
Chinese Investment in Africa: Surprisingly Small, but Growing Fast
It's a widespread misconception that just because China is Africa's top trading partner, it's also the continent's largest foreign investor. In fact, China's ranks seventh overall in FDI, far behind the United States that has long been Africa's largest source of ...
China's Special Economic Zones in Africa: Lots of Hype, Little Hope
A decade ago China announced it would develop a series of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Africa to boost trade and industrialization. Given the phenomenal success of China's SEZs that helped to spark the PRC's three-decades of history-making economic growth, not ...
China's Role in Africa's "Looting Machine"
China goes to great lengths to differentiate its engagement in Africa from the continent's former European colonizers by emphasizing so-called "win-win development." Chinese leaders regularly visit Africa where they emphatically reject the accusation of neo-colonialism and that Beijing is only interested in exploiting the ...
U.S. Not Concerned About Chinese Competition in Africa… But It Probably Should Be
The difference between the U.S. and Chinese foreign policies in Africa was on stark display in July when president Barack Obama made his landmark visits to Kenya and Ethiopia. The president brought along with him a vast agenda that transcended trade, ...
A Kenyan Columnist's Provocative Views on the Chinese in Africa
In Mark Kapchanga's view, the West, particularly the media, really don't understand what the Chinese are doing in Africa. Kapchanga, a provocative Nairobi-based journalist and columnist, isn't shy in arguing his case that on balance China's presence in Africa is net ...
Should Africa Follow Asia's Path to Economic Prosperity?
Author John Akhile, Sr. argues in his new book "Unleashed" that if Asia's so-called 'Tiger economies' did it, so can Africa. By leveraging the continent’s agricultural potential, minerals, raw materials, and low-cost labor, Akhile thinks that using these resources Africans can ...
China's Rapidly Changing Views on Wildlife Conservation in Africa
A dramatic shift in Chinese public opinion about animal welfare and global wildlife conservation appears to be underway. Supported by high-profile celebrity campaigns by NBA legend Yao Ming and actress Li Bing Bing, ...
China, Africa and the Indian Ocean: A New Balance of Power
For centuries the Indian Ocean was a vital conduit in the British empire, connecting colonies in South Asia with Africa as part of a vast imperial network. Today, the Indian Ocean once again plays as a vital role in an emerging global trading empire, ...
[AUDIO] China's Expanding Military Presence in Africa
China is steadily expanding its military footprint in Africa, highlighted by the recent deployment of 700 combat-ready troops to join a multinational peacekeeping operation in South Sudan. In all, the People's Liberation Army and Navy now have an estimated 2,700 soldiers, ...
China Starts to Play Nice with Foreign Aid Partners
New research from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China indicates Beijing is starting to be more open about its international aid programs. If so, this would mark a significant change from the past where the Chinese government was often criticized for its ...