CGSP Podcasts
Weekly discussions with key thought leaders about China’s engagement in Africa and the Global South.
podcast
China's Risky Gamble to Become a Major Player in the Mideast & North Africa
Chinese president Xi Jinping's three-country tour of the Middle East and North Africa offers yet another example of Beijing's expanding drive for increased global influence. During his first visit to the region, Xi traveled to Saudi ...
China's Diplomatic Dilemma: Protecting Its People and Property Overseas
Chinese special operations forces are training in the Western deserts of Xinjiang in complex search and rescue missions, in environments that closely resemble North Africa or certain parts of the Middle East. These newly-trained military forces have recently been empowered ...
Africa Feels the Chill of China's Cooling Economy
It hasn't even been a month since Chinese president Xi Jinping was in South Africa for the triennial FOCAC confab where he unveiled a massive $60 billion financial package. Oh how those were innocent, halcyon days. There was a still ...
China and the World: What to Expect in 2016
The December China-Africa leaders summit in Johannesburg culminated the end of what was a very busy year for Chinese president Xi Jinping and his foreign policy team. In many ways, 2015 marked a significant turning point in China's increasingly ambitious ...
'China is Doing More to Protect Elephants Than Africa'
For the first time in years, there is positive news to report in the fight to save Africa's elephants from extinction. A new study by the Save the Elephants revealed that the price of ivory in China has halved over ...
FOCAC 6: A China-Africa Lovefest
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit concluded in Johannesburg on Saturday amid an almost giddy atmosphere. All sides in this relationship seemingly walked away with more than what they anticipated. Africa provided a welcome relief for Xi Jinping's embattled ...
Terrorism Forces Its Way Onto the China-Africa Agenda
Until just a few weeks, security had not been expected to be a major topic at the December Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Johannesburg. In the span of just a few short weeks, terrorism and security issues will likely ...
A Journalist's Guide to Covering FOCAC 6
When covering any major international summit it can be challenging to get the "real story" beyond the official communiqués and government talking-points, especially at Chinese events where the messaging is often tightly controlled. James Schneider is ...
The 2015 China-Africa Roundtable at Wits University
Leading scholars, journalists and activists convened in Johannesburg last week for the annual Wits China-Africa Reporting Project's annual roundtable discussion. This year's conference focused on reporting challenges related to the upcoming Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit that will be held in Johannesburg ...
Challenging the Myth of Chinese Land Grabs in Africa
Among the most durable myths surrounding the China-Africa relationship is the fear that the Chinese government and private enterprises are buying vast tracts of African farm land and have plans to transplant millions of Chinese peasants to live and work on the continent. Over ...
FOCAC: What to Expect at This Year's Mega China-Africa Summit
The 6th Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that will be held in December in Johannesburg comes at critical time in the Sino-African relationship. The combination of China's slowing economy, a major slump in global
China's Risky Oil Strategy in Africa's Sahel Region
Chad is one of the poorest, most corrupt and, increasingly, one of the most volatile countries in Africa. A recent wave of suicide bombings, allegedly orchestrated by Boko Haram, killed 36 and ...