Tag: Corruption

“I am not a racist but…” Mrs. Zhang begins smilingly. She is addressing me specifically, staring right at my nose. Still, I miss the end of the sentence. I am busy thinking to myself: has anyone ever started a statement that way and finished it gracefully? If anyone could, ...

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 ...

Sam Pa is a mysterious man, largely unknown to the outside world. Yet Pa, who goes by at least 7 different aliases, represents the nefarious side of China's engagement in Africa. Sam Pa and his associates in the Hong Kong-based consortium known as the ...

There is a growing sense among Africans and Chinese alike that their once heady romance is now entering a new, more pragmatic phase. Across Africa, people and politicians are becoming visibly more concerned about the surging trade deficits, massive loan debts, persistent labor rights ...

The United States announces a new foreign policy platform for Africa that is eerily similar to China's 'aid not trade' position | Two of China's largest telecom manufacturers get a two-year ban from Algeria for corruption | The pros & cons of China's ambitious stadium diplomacy agenda in Africa and ...

Transparency is a loaded word in the development business.  The idea that aid and investments in places like Africa should be subject to external audits and review is a sacrosanct principle within the industry.  Never mind the irony that organizations like USAID, the United Nations and the World Bank among ...