Podcasts · News · Government
The China in Africa Podcast
The China-Global South Project
300 episodes
Twice-weekly discussion about China's engagement across Africa and the Global South hosted by journalist Eric Olander and Asia-Africa scholar Cobus van Staden in Johannesburg.
Episodes page 5 of 6
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WEEK IN REVIEW: Zambia Debt | Lula's China Diss | China-Africa Journalism
Zambia suffered a major setback this week in its nearly three-year odyssey to restructure $32 billion of debt when the country's bilateral creditors led by China and France pushed back against bondholders. Plus,…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] China's Response to the Israel-Hamas War
Prior to the October 7th terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel, China had positioned itself as a new power broker in the Middle East. Chinese officials were brimming with confidence after they finalized a…
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Africa is at the Center of U.S.-China Competition for Critical Resources
U.S. lawmakers met this week to discuss how to combat the use of child labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's cobalt mining sector which they claim is largely controlled by Chinese mining companies. The issue…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] Chinese Overseas Investment: Which Countries Will Benefit Most?
Amid a slowing economy at home, more Chinese companies are now looking to invest abroad in search of higher returns. While there's been a lot of hope in recent years that some of that money would find its way to Africa…
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What the Past Tells Us About the Future of the BRI
There's a widely-held perception in many parts of the U.S., Europe, and India that debt and geopolitics have led to the demise of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But a landmark new study from AidData proves…
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Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Africa Don't Meet ESG Standards
Two years ago, China introduced a series of new so-called "green guidelines" that it hoped would promote more sustainable development abroad. But in Africa, according to a new research report, it appears those higher…
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New Documentary Humanizes the China-Africa Relationship
Eat Bitter is a new documentary making the rounds of the international film festival circuit that tells the story of two men, one from China and the other from the Central African Republic (CAR), who work on opposite…
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Assessing the Impact of Chinese Media Influence in Africa
China's media presence in Africa is far more pervasive today than it was a decade ago, but not in the conventional way. Very few people consume China's traditional media offerings on the continent but millions, often…
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Africa's Strong Presence at China's Belt & Road Forum
Five of the 24 heads of state who attended this week's Belt and Road Forum in Beijing were from African countries, highlighting the prominent role the continent played at the event. Many of the themes that emerged…
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Zimbabwe's Elite Share Their Views on China: What a New Survey Reveals
Across Africa, public opinion about China has been quite positive overall with favorability ratings surpassing those of other major powers, including the United States. But not in Zimbabwe, at least among the country's…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] Michael Pettis Explains How China's Changing Economy Will Impact the World
China's economy emerged from the pandemic much weaker than before. Unemployment is up, exports are down and a burgeoning property crisis is having a devastating impact on local government finances. These changes in…
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What's It Like to Study China-Africa Relations at Harvard University?
Only a handful of universities around the world teach area studies courses in China-Africa relations. It's a field that was once quite popular but less so today as interest in studying Chinese affairs more broadly has…
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Africa at the Intersection of Three Megatrends: China, Climate and Debt
Dramatic scenes this week in Italy where 7,000 people, mostly from Africa, came ashore after making the dangerous trek across the Mediterranean. It was a similar situation along the U.S.-Mexico border where 9,000…
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[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…
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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…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] 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…
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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 the…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] 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…
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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…
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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…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] 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…
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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…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] 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…
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BRICS 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…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] 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…
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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…
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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…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] 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…
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What a Railway in Kenya Reveals About How China Builds Things in Africa
The Kenyan government's controversial decision to end certain subsidies and raise taxes sparked days of violent protests in Nairobi. While the move sparked a massive backlash, President William Ruto nonetheless clearly…
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China's Tactics and Methods to Influence African Media
Confucius Institutes (CIs) were once known only for teaching Mandarin language and culture classes but the organization's mission has evolved recently to now include "training" sessions for African journalists on how…
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Mapping the Chinese Cobalt Supply Chain in the DR Congo
The China-Global South Project is proud to announce the first-ever mapping of the Chinese cobalt supply chain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. CGSP launched a new interactive map this week that includes a full…
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Bases, Training and Weapon Sales: Latest Trends in China-Africa Military Ties
Three Chinese warships made ports of call in Ghana and Nigeria this month, prompting a new wave of speculation about Beijing's military ambitions in Africa. The PLA Navy visit followed reports that Chinese miners in…
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WEEK IN REVIEW: China and Zambia's Landmark Debt Deal
After nearly two years of painful, drawn-out negotiations, Zambia finally closed a deal to restructure its bilateral external debt. The announcement was made last week at a global development finance summit in Paris…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] A Primer on the Escalating Tensions in the South China Sea
The South China Sea is one of the world's most strategically vital maritime zones where more than $5 trillion of trade passes through each year -- a whopping 60% of the globe's total maritime commerce. It's also the…
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WEEK IN REVIEW: China's New Green Energy Diplomacy in Africa
Over the past six months, there's been a noticeable increase in the number of green energy deals announced by Chinese private and state-owned enterprises in Africa. But unlike the earlier era of Chinese-financed…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] China's Fanciful Dream to Play Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaker
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wrapped up a visit to Beijing last week where he heard lofty promises from Chinese officials about their desire to mediate a settlement with Israel. While the visit made…
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A Conversation With Judd Devermont, One of the Chief Architects of U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa
Since the end of the Cold War in the early 90s, Africa has largely been an afterthought in Washington where it was never regarded as a top-tier priority. That changed last year when the Biden administration launched a…
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African Demand for Chinese Surveillance Technology
While many countries around the world, particularly G7 states, have largely outlawed the use of Chinese surveillance technology made by companies like Huawei, ZTE, and Hikvision among others, that is not the case in…
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[WEEK IN REVIEW] Chinese Hacking in Kenya & DRC President Goes to Beijing
This week CGSP Francophone Editor Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to discuss DR Congo President Félix Tshiskedi's state visit to China which comes at a critical time for the Congolese leader. Tshisekedi is going to…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] Key Lessons From Indonesia's China-Backed Mining & Infrastructure Ventures
Indonesia is a pioneer among developing countries for its efforts in moving up the EV battery metal value chain. Whereas most other countries like the DR Congo and Chile export raw commodities that are processed…
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South-South Cooperation in Economically Perilous Times
For 70+ years, development economists have been touting the idea that if lesser developed countries trade and invest collaboratively, it would serve as a pathway out of poverty. But today, the notion of so-called…
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Chinese Merchants Are Disrupting Kenya's Business Cartels
In the old days, a small group of Kenyan elites dominated the business of importing low-cost products from China that they would then turn around and sell for two or three times the cost. But that once-lucrative…
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WEEK IN REVIEW: Life & Art Converge With China's Evacuations From Sudan
PLA Navy warships facilitated China's third major evacuation from a war-ravaged MENA country this week when two vessels ferried more than a thousand Chinese and Pakistani nationals to safety. Chinese state media…
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Understanding China's Role in the Developing World Debt Crisis (Part 2)
The widely debunked Chinese debt trap narrative re-surfaced again in Washington, D.C. when the top U.S. military commander for Africa General Michael Langley testified before Congress -- highlighting the urgent need…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] Update on China's Role in the Burgeoning Global South Debt Crisis
There was a lot of excitement earlier this month at the IMF and World Bank's annual gathering in Washington, D.C. about rumors that the impasse between China and multilateral development banks (MDBs) had been resolved.…
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Bright Simons on Africa in the Era of Great Power Competition
Many African countries are confronting unprecedented challenges from a convergence of forces far beyond their control. Africans are suffering disproportionately from the effects of climate change, global economic…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] U.S.-China Technology Competition in the Global South
The U.S. and China are waging a hard-fought battle today for dominance of global technology standards, particularly in emerging sectors like 5G mobile telecommunications. While China's access to markets in advanced…
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The Far-Reaching Consequences of China's Demand for African Donkeys
Elephants, rhinos, and lions usually come to mind first in discussions about the China-Africa animal trade, not donkeys. But surging demand for donkey hides used to manufacture a Chinese traditional medicinal product…
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[GLOBAL SOUTH] The Risks and Rewards of China's New Mideast Diplomacy
When China announced in March that it had brokered a landmark agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic ties, it took a lot of people by surprise. They just didn't see it coming. But now, a month…
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African Leaders Push Back Against Western Media Narratives on China
While Vice President Kamala Harris worked hard to keep the focus on U.S.-Africa relations during her recent tour of the continent, reporters in the traveling press corps kept bringing up China -- much to the chagrin of…
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