Shows
The China Africa ProjectChina's Indispensable Role in Africa's Railway RenaissanceOver 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 large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa have come to an end.
Today, China's development priorities on the continent are focused more on fostering industrialization and building smaller, greener projects mostly in the energy and telecommunications sectors. But even without the Chinese, a number of African governments are moving forward with ambitious plans to build vast regional rail networks.
Tim Zajontz, a...2023-09-0150 min
The China Africa ProjectChina's and the Politics of Global Climate DiplomacyThe 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 solve this problem are failing.
It's not clear what China's role was in that debate at the G20 but elsewhere Beijing's actions on combatting climate change are somewhat contradictory. While China is by far the world's leader in renewable energy and green transportation, it's also the world's largest polluter, thanks in part to its reliance on coal power.
This week...2023-08-2955 minThe China Africa ProjectAfrica'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 11-member group -- far more than any other international multilateral organization.
The announcement to enlarge the bloc came at the end of a high-profile three-day leaders summit in Johannesburg.
Adhere Cavince, a Nairobi-based China-Africa researcher, spent much of the week in Johannesburg attending events on the sidelines of the summit and joins Eric & Geraud to discuss what a new...2023-08-251h 20The China Africa ProjectChina's New, Slimmed-Down Belt & Road InitiativeChina'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 BRI is very much alive -- it just looks very different today than it did even a few years ago.
Instead of expensive large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa, the Americas, and Asia, Chinese lenders are now focusing more on smaller initiatives related to technology, renewable energy, and connectivity. In fact, Chinese creditors lent more money to finance green energy initiatives...2023-08-221h 00
The China Africa ProjectBRICS Summit PreviewThe 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 President Vladimir Putin who will attend remotely.
The two main priorities at this year's gathering will be expanding the bloc's membership to include any of the two dozen countries that have applied to join and the creation of a new BRICS currency as an alternative to the U.S. dollar.
Emmanuel Matambo, research director at the University of Johannesburg's Africa-China...2023-08-1855 minThe China Africa ProjectPivot to Asia: Why the Near Abroad is Now China's Top PriorityFor 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 considerable diplomatic capital to building political influence there as well.
But now, in this new era of Great Power competition with the United States and Europe, China is once again shifting its focus, this time closer to home in Asia. Its so-called "near abroad" is now by far the most consequential region for China both in terms of trade and...2023-08-151h 01
The China Africa ProjectIf You Lead a Developing Country and Want to Borrow Money From China, Then Listen to This PodcastThe days of China easily handing out billions of dollars to build infrastructure in developing countries around the world are now over. The Chinese can't afford it anymore and many of the borrowing countries just don't have the capacity to take on more debt.
But that doesn't mean the Chinese aren't lending anymore. They are. It's just that the projects they finance today are either small -- below $50 million -- or "beautiful" -- support local communities and align with certain Chinese political objectives.
Edwin Li, a Beijing-based project finance attorney for the international law firm Dentons, detailed these new lending...2023-06-0849 minThe China Africa ProjectAfrican Demand for Chinese Surveillance TechnologyWhile 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 Africa. Dozens of governments across the continent have installed so-called "Smart City" initiatives that use networked camera systems, including some powered by AI.
While there are concerns among some civil society groups that Chinese-made surveillance technology will be misused by authoritarian governments, those concerns are often overshadowed by the need for improved security, traffic management, and other benefits promised by Smart City manufacturers.
Bulelani Jili, a...2023-06-021h 07The China Africa ProjectSouth-South Cooperation in Economically Perilous TimesFor 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 South-South cooperation is facing unprecedented challenges as developing countries confront a series of converging economic, health, and geopolitical crises.
But two economists at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) contend that at the dawn of another Great Power rivalry and massive economic uncertainty, Global South countries working together is now more important than ever.
Richard Kozul-Wright, director of UNCTAD's globalization and development strategies division...2023-05-1956 minThe China Africa ProjectThe Case for More U.S. Soft Power to Counter China in the Global SouthChina is one of the very few truly bipartisan issues in Washington today where there is near unanimous consensus that the U.S. must work to counter Beijing's growing influence around the world, especially in developing countries.
The problem is that there is much less agreement on what the U.S. should actually do to respond to the China challenge.
Dan Runde, a senior vice president at the DC-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss his new book that makes the case for why bolstering U.S. soft power is key to persuading...2023-05-161h 04The China Africa ProjectChinese Merchants Are Disrupting Kenya's Business CartelsIn 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 business is now under threat from Chinese merchants who sell the same products at a lower price direct to consumers, cutting out those Kenyan middlemen.
That tension boiled over earlier this year in Nairobi when Trade Minister Moses Kuria mobilized street protests against a Chinese merchant that ultimately backfired. But now, Chinese expatriates in the country are complaining they're the targets of a...2023-05-1257 minThe China Africa ProjectWEEK IN REVIEW: Life & Art Converge With China's Evacuations From SudanPLA 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 glorified the evacuations using music and language that echoed recent blockbuster movies about the government's heroism in rescuing stranded Chinese nationals from fictional war-torn North African countries.
Plus, Eric, Geraud, and Cobus discuss Kenyan President William Ruto's objection to Africa + 1 summits like FOCAC and how China has become a defining issue in the Senate confirmation battle for Stephanie Sullivan to become the next U.S. ambassador to the...2023-05-0551 minThe China Africa ProjectU.S.-China Technology Competition in the Global SouthThe 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 economies is increasingly limited, tech companies like Huawei, ZTE, and Bytedance are rapidly expanding in the Global South.
But the U.S. Congress is adamant to try and limit China's expansion in developing markets by effectively telling countries if you want to work with the U.S., then you can't use Chinese tech.
John Lee is closely following this unfolding competition from Berlin where he's a director at...2023-04-1851 minThe China Africa ProjectThe Risks and Rewards of China's New Mideast DiplomacyWhen 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 later, it appears that the deal is solid. Just last week, the foreign ministers from both countries reconvened in Beijing to finalize the pact and begin the process of reconciliation.
While all of this is very encouraging, William Figueroa, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics and one of the world's foremost Sino-Iran scholars, joins Eric...2023-04-1355 minThe China Africa ProjectAfrican Leaders Push Back Against Western Media Narratives on ChinaWhile 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 her hosts in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia.
But unlike previous high-level U.S. visits where African leaders politely side-stepped questions about the U.S.-China rivalry on the continent, this time they went out of their way to challenge the Western narrative about the Chinese presence in their countries.
Francophone Editor Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus this week to discuss an...2023-04-0750 minThe China Africa ProjectWhat China's Past Tells Us About the Future of its Foreign Policy in AsiaSingaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim both wrapped up state visits to China last week and their discussions with President Xi Jinping revealed some fascinating linkages between contemporary Chinese foreign policy objectives and Beijing's historical perception of its role as Asia's central power.
Antoine Roth, an international relations scholar at Tohoku University in Japan explores those themes in his new book "A Hierarchical Vision of Order: Understanding Chinese Foreign Policy in Asia." He joins Eric & Cobus from Sendai to discuss what lessons can be drawn from China's diplomatic history in Asia that can inform...2023-04-0454 minThe China Africa ProjectCAR Attack Sparks New Concerns About Safety of Chinese People in AfricaOne week after a brutal attack on a Chinese mining site in the Central African Republic (CAR) that killed nine people and injured two others, it's still not clear who is responsible and why they did it. All Chinese personnel in the country have been ordered to evacuate remote areas and those in the capital Bangui are sheltering in place.
Meantime, Chinese embassies in both Nigeria and South Africa issued urgent security warnings to their citizens in those countries to take immediate precautions against the threat of kidnapping and assault.
Alessandro Arduino, an affiliate lecturer at King's College London and...2023-03-2450 minThe China Africa ProjectWhat to Make of China's Mideast Diplomatic Breakthrough?New details are emerging about the landmark diplomatic deal brokered by China for Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic relations. The initial excitement about the prospects for peace between these two Persian Gulf rivals has given way to a more sober assessment that effectively says the agreement is a good first step but that's about it.
The key test is going to be whether both sides are going to pull back from their proxy fights in places like Yemen. Until that's done, it's still too early to be overly optimistic.
But what does this all say about China's emergence...2023-03-1659 minThe China Africa ProjectWhat Lessons Should the U.S. Take From China's Mideast Diplomatic Breakthrough?This month's surprise announcement that China brokered the restoration of diplomatic relations between longtime rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia prompted widespread excitement in Beijing and considerable consternation among U.S. conservatives. The implication for both is that China's role in the process symbolized the decline of U.S. influence in the region.
Not so says Mohammed Soliman, one of the leading Arab political analysts in Washington, D.C. based at the Middle East Institute and also a manager at McLarty Associates Middle East North Africa Program. Mohammed joins Eric to explain why he thinks the U.S. should not overreact...2023-03-1618 minThe China Africa ProjectChina vs. the Multilateral Development BanksThere was a major breakthrough this week in China's months-long standoff with the World Bank, IMF, and other multilateral creditors when Beijing agreed to fully back Sri Lanka's debt restructuring. The move now clears the way for Colombo to secure $2.9 billion in emergency IMF funding and to put the South Asian country on the path toward recovery.
Now, everyone wants to know whether China will extend a similar offer to Zambia, Ghana, and Ethiopia which are also in the midst of similar debt restructuring talks or will it stick to its hardline position that multilateral lenders must also agree to...2023-03-1153 minThe China Africa ProjectWEEK IN REVIEW: China-IMF Debt Standoff | France's "New" Africa Strategy | SA Naval ExercisesThe G20 finance ministers meeting in India came and went without any progress on the debt standoff between China and the IMF/World Bank over who should take losses on loans to the world's poorest countries.
Meantime, France announced another "new" strategy to revive its Africa strategy, partially in response to China's growing influence on the continent.
CGSP Francophone Editor Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to share his perspective on those stories plus an update on the controversial joint naval exercises that South Africa hosted with China and Russia.
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Facebook: www...2023-03-0357 minThe China Africa ProjectWang Huiyao on 'China's Misunderstood Foreign Policy'Senior-level Chinese stakeholders often contend that one of the main reasons for today's heightened geopolitical tensions between China and the West is due to "misunderstandings" of its foreign policy objectives by outsiders.
Chinese distrust is also fueled by a longstanding feeling of victimization by the West and a sense that they've lost the "narrative battle" in international media.
Wang Huiyao, president and founder of the Beijing-based think tank Centre for China and Globalisation, wants to change that. In a recent column published in the South China Morning Post newspaper, Wang called on Chinese scholars, analysts, and others to "embrace the...2023-02-2450 minThe China Africa ProjectWEEK IN REVIEW: South Africa: Naval Drills | Ghana: Debt Crisis | DRC: Mining ContractsControversial joint naval exercises among South Africa, Russia, and China got underway this week off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, prompting a fierce backlash from critics who blasted Pretoria for legitimizing Russia on the first anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine.
Also this week, Ghana's finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta traveled to Beijing hoping to restructure its debt and Chinese mining companies in the DR Congo negotiated a demand for $17 billion of new infrastructure down to just $500 million.
Development Reimagined Policy Analyst Ovigwe Eguegu joins Eric, Cobus, and Geraud this week to discuss these stories and the rest of the week's top...2023-02-241h 01
The China Africa ProjectNigeria's Port of Lekki and the Future of Chinese Infrastructure Financing in AfricaChina is no longer in the game of providing African countries with enormous loans to finance large-scale infrastructure projects. In fact, BRI financing last year for projects in Africa plunged more than 50% to just $7.5 billion.
But that doesn't mean Chinese companies still aren't building big things in Africa.
Stella Hong Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation joins Eric & Cobus to discuss her new research on the Port of Lekki in Nigeria and why this venture may hold some important clues about the future of Chinese development financing in Africa and...2023-02-1751 minThe China Africa ProjectChina, Latin America, and the Rise of a New Non-Aligned MovementDuring the first Cold War, a large group of developing countries sought to distance themselves from the ideological battle between the United States and the Soviet Union to create a Non-Aligned Movement.
Now, three decades later, at the dawn of yet another Great Power competition, this time between the U.S. and China, Global South countries are once again saying they don't want any part of it.
Jorge Heine, a former Chilean ambassador to China and now a research professor at Boston University joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the new book he co-edited about how this new movement is taking...2023-02-1753 minThe China Africa ProjectHow the U.S. Aims to Compete With China in Critical Resource MiningU.S. officials are speaking out about the urgency to diversify supply chains for critical resources that are now largely dependent on China, particularly rare earths, cobalt, and lithium that are all essential ingredients in manufacturing electric vehicle batteries.
It's a hot topic this week at Africa's largest mining conference that's taking place in Cape Town. Although senior U.S. diplomats speaking at the conference haven't actually said the word "China," the "C" word is nonetheless clearly on their minds.
CGSP Francophone Editor Christian-Geraud Neema, a leading expert in Congolese mining issues, joins Eric to discuss U.S.-China resource...2023-02-0952 minThe China Africa ProjectWhat's Driving the Steady Decline in Chinese Overseas Development Lending?There was a time when Chinese lending to developing countries rivaled the World Bank. Those days are now long gone as Chinese overseas development lending has been on a steady downward trajectory.
New data from Boston University's Global Development Policy Center (GDPC) reports that in 2020-2021, China granted just 28 loan commitments worth just $10.5 billion -- a small fraction of what was lent in the early 2010s.
Rebecca Ray, a senior researcher at GDPC, and Tarela Moses, a data analyst at the center's Global China Initiative join Eric from Boston to discuss the latest trends in Chinese development finance and specifically...2023-02-0149 minThe China Africa ProjectA New Era of U.S. and Chinese Engagement in Africa is Now UnderwayThis was a big week for both the U.S. and China in Africa as both major powers' new, more robust engagement strategies were on full display. For the U.S., two cabinet secretaries toured the region this week, while Chinese officials in several African countries were on hand to commission a suite of large infrastructure projects.
Ken Opalo, an assistant professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, joins Eric & Cobus from Washington to discuss how the heightened activity from both the U.S. and China indicates an important evolution of their foreign policies towards the continent.
SHOW NOTES:
...2023-01-271h 00The China Africa ProjectWhy More Young Chinese Professionals Are Looking For Work in AfricaNear record high levels of youth unemployment in China is prompting more young graduates to look abroad for work, particularly in Africa. Recruiters say they can't find enough people to work in both private companies and Chinese state-owned enterprises as translators, accountants, and other administrative roles.
While moving so far away from home isn't ideal for a lot of young people, it's also hard to resist the higher salaries, generous benefits, and the adventure of living overseas, according to freelance journalist Li Yijuan for a story she wrote last month on this trend for the English-language Chinese news site Sixth...2023-01-1941 minThe China Africa ProjectPepe Zhang on What to Expect This Year in China-Latin America RelationsChina's two-way trade with countries in the Americas increased 8% last year to $486 billion, nearly twice the volume of what China does in Africa. South America is now a vital source of food, energy, and strategic minerals for China, while markets like Brazil are attracting record amounts of Chinese investment.
Meantime, China's growing presence in Latin America and the Caribbean region is also making the U.S. increasingly uncomfortable given that many people in Washington, D.C. still believe that the Western hemisphere remains America's traditional sphere of influence.
But despite China's enormous economic engagement in the region and the geopolitical...2023-01-1747 min
The China Africa ProjectHannah Ryder on What to Expect This Year in China-Africa RelationsQin Gang is carrying on a 33-year-old tradition by making Africa the first official visit of the new year for China's foreign minister. Qin took office just two weeks ago and is new to African affairs, so this week's five-nation tour is more about him and his hosts getting to know one another than engaging in substantive policy discussions.
But the tour comes at a critical juncture for China's engagement on the continent. Chinese lending to African countries is down, great power competition is up and there's a new foreign policy team in Beijing that appears more focused on the...2023-01-1259 minThe China Africa ProjectThe 2022 Africa-China Year in Review With Gyude MooreChinese trade with Africa is widely expected to break yet another record in 2022, while Chinese lending to countries across the continent fell again. Meantime, African leaders this year also forcefully pushed back against both the U.S. and China to avoid becoming collateral damage in their escalating great power struggle.
It was an eventful year indeed for Africa-China relations. Gyude Moore, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development and a prominent African international affairs analyst, joins Eric & Cobus from Washington, D.C. to reflect on the year's key milestones.
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Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander...2022-12-231h 08
The China Africa ProjectNew Report Debunks Chinese Debt Trap Narrative in Sri LankaThe Chinese debt trap narrative was started based on the purported surrender of the Port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka. When Colombo fell behind in its payments to the China Exim Bank for the loan, the story goes, Beijing seized the port as collateral.
Now, six years later, a pair of Sri Lankan researchers, Umesh Moramudali and Thilina Panduwawala gained access to the original China Exim Bank loan documents for the port and confirmed that the Chinese predatory lending narrative, as it's been told, just isn't true.
The pair join Eric & Cobus to discuss their new report that debunks many...2022-12-231h 03The China Africa ProjectWill China and Wealthy Countries Pay For Climate Damage in the Global South?The three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit wrapped up in Washington, D.C. on Thursday with a declaration by President Joe Biden that his administration is "all in" when it comes to Africa.
The White House worked very hard to change the narrative about its Africa foreign policy, specifically that it's focused on African countries rather than confronting China's growing influence on the continent.
This week, Eric, Cobus and Geraud discuss whether the U.S. was successful and what were the main takeaways from this week's summit.
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Facebook: www.facebook.com...2022-12-1759 minThe China Africa ProjectBad Takes: What the News Media Got Wrong About Xi's Trip to Saudi ArabiaSo much of the international news coverage of Xi Jinping's three-day visit last week to Saudi Arabia was framed in the context of the broader U.S.-China rivalry. The Saudis and other Arab states, according to the prevailing narrative, were pivoting away from their decades-long relationship with the U.S. to embrace China.
But suggesting that some kind of grand geopolitical realignment is taking place in the Middle East is just wrong says Jonathan Fulton, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and one of the world's foremost scholars on China-Mideast relations.
Jonathan joins Eric & Cobus from Abu Dhabi...2022-12-1449 minThe China Africa ProjectWorrisome Demographic Trends in China and AfricaAfrica is home to the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, creating what proponents call a "demographic dividend." Conversely, China is rapidly becoming one of the world's oldest countries thanks in part to decades of draconian family planning policies that limited most families to just one child.
Today, the demographic trend lines in both regions are becoming increasingly worrisome, according to Michele Bruni, one of the world's foremost scholars on the issue.
Michele, a fellow at the Global Labor Organization and a member of the Research Centre for the Analysis of Public Policies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia...2022-12-0947 minThe China Africa ProjectWhy U.S. Diplomacy is Struggling to Compete With China in the Global South40 countries around the world currently do not have U.S. ambassadors. The corner offices have been empty for months, even years at U.S. embassies in major regional powers like India and Saudia Arabia. Even Italy, a G7 country, doesn't have a U.S. ambassador in place.
The hold-up in getting ambassadors confirmed by the Senate is the consequence of Washington's dysfunctional politics that's adversely impacting the U.S. and its effort to compete with China for influence around the world, particularly in developing countries.
Politico's Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Nahal Toosi traveled to Panama earlier this year to report...2022-12-061h 00The China Africa ProjectWhy It Isn't China's Fault Its Trade With Africa Is so DistortedChina is forecast to break another trade record with Africa this year, potentially even crossing the $300 billion barrier. While that sounds great, the big number masks a distorted trading relationship that is mostly concentrated in extractives among a small handful of countries.
African countries to date have failed to move up the value chain by processing more of their raw materials prior to export. And that, according to prominent Africa-Asia scholar Jean-Claude Maswana, an economics professor at Ritsumeikan University, is not China's fault.
Jean-Claude joins Eric & Cobus from Kyoto, Japan to discuss what African countries need to do if they...2022-12-021h 01The China Africa ProjectCan China's Surveillance State Governance Model Be Exported Abroad?China has built the world's largest and most intrusive surveillance system to monitor the behavior of its people. Millions of cameras, vast databases, and sophisticated online filters work together to form a seemingly omnipresent matrix that overwatches every aspect of daily life.
While China may have pioneered the use of many of these new technologies, today, they are by no means alone. In fact, Chinese companies are now bringing their technology and surveillance expertise to countries around the world -- particularly in the Global South.
Wall Street Journal reporters Liza Lin and Josh Chin, authors of the new book Surveillance...2022-11-291h 10The China Africa ProjectU.S.-China Technology Competition in AfricaAfrican telecom operators have resolutely opposed U.S. calls to stop using Chinese networking hardware. In fact, Huawei, ZTE, and other Chinese tech firms in recent years have significantly expanded their presence beyond networking to mobile money, data centers, and even new energy solutions, among other sectors.
African countries, at least so far, have been spared serious consequences from the increasingly contentious U.S.-Chian technology duel. But Jane Munga, a technology policy expert in the Africa program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., worries that may soon change.
Jane joins Eric & Cobus to discuss...2022-11-2551 minThe China Africa ProjectA Look Back on a Week of Intense Chinese Diplomacy in Southeast AsiaChinese President returned home from a week of intense diplomacy in Indonesia and Thailand where he attended a pair of summits and held more than a dozen bilaterals with other international leaders.
Both the G20 Summit in Bali and the subsequent APEC leaders summit in Bangkok served as the first time the President was back on the international stage with some of his Western rivals since the beginning of the pandemic.
Collin Koh, a Research Fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, joins Eric & Cobus...2022-11-2356 minThe China Africa Project[WEEK IN REVIEW] Will China and Wealthy Countries Pay For Climate Damage in the Global South?Join us for a very lively end-of-week show where Eric, Cobus, and Geraud get into a spirited debate over whether China, India, and wealthy countries will pay for the damage they've caused to poor countries in Africa and elsewhere from global climate change.
Geraud, like many in Kenya, is also baffled over the terms of Kenya's multi-billion loan agreement with China to build the Standard Gauge Railway and Cobus shares some insights on Africa's presence at this week's G20 summit in Indonesia.
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FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH...2022-11-1959 minThe China Africa ProjectEmerging Trends and Myths in Africa-China Relations: Live From Johannesburg[This special bonus episode was recorded live from a classroom on the campus of Wits University in Johannesburg. Unfortunately, the audio quality isn't great -- it's OK, not great -- but we hope that you'll give the show a chance and listen to what was a very lively and informative discussion]
China's relationship with Africa is undergoing profound change in the post-pandemic era. Chinese engagement on the continent has fallen precipitously with a massive drop in people-to-people exchanges, development finance lending, and academic engagement.
In this special live episode of the show broadcast from the African Investigative Journalism Conference on...2022-11-1545 min
The China Africa ProjectA Conversation with Molly Phee, the Top U.S. Diplomat for AfricaThis Summer the United States updated its foreign policy for Africa when it shifted the focus from competing with China to improving governance and bolstering trade ties with the region. Now, three months later, the State Department's top diplomat for Africa, Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee, joins Eric & Cobus for an in-depth discussion on the new strategy and how it's being received by stakeholders across the continent.
Also, three prominent African scholars were invited to submit questions on any topic to the Assistant Secretary:
Dr. Tobi Oshodi, lecturer in the department of political science at Lagos State University: @tobioshodi
...2022-11-1156 min
The China Africa ProjectThe U.S.-China Battle For Ideas in the Global SouthBoth the United States and China have restructured their respective foreign policy establishments in recent years to be better poised to confront each other.
In the just concluded 20th Party Congress in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping clearly telegraphed a more aggressive stance towards his U.S. rivals. The U.S. articulated much the same in its latest National Security Strategy released in October that clearly named China as its "most consequential geopolitical challenge.”
Jake Werner, a research fellow in the East Asia program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington, D.C., joins Eric & Cobus to discuss ho...2022-10-251h 03The China Africa ProjectWhere Does Africa Fit in Xi Jinping's New Foreign PolicyChinese President Xi Jinping outlined a more assertive foreign policy vision during his closely-followed address at the 20th Party Congress in Beijing last Sunday. He made it clear that China's new foreign policy priorities will focus primarily on competition with the U.S., Taiwan reunification along with strengthening the country's technological and military capabilities.
Notably, the President mentioned the BRI only in passing during the two-hour address to Global South issues, which isn't a huge surprise given this speech is largely focused on domestic issues.
CGSP Francophone Editor Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the speech and what an...2022-10-2155 minThe China Africa ProjectDespite Huge Problems, Pakistan Remains Indispensable to ChinaIt has been a difficult year for China in Pakistan. A burgeoning economic crisis in the South Asian country threatens to undermine the multibillion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor development initiative while anti-Chinese terrorism has surged in recent months.
But amid these serious challenges, there's no indication that ties between Beijing and Islamabad have strained. Ammar Malik, a senior research scientist at AidData, closely follows Sino-Pakistani relations and joins Eric & Cobus to explain why this relationship is so durable.
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França...2022-10-181h 01The China Africa ProjectDebt in Africa: Everyone's Watching What China Does in ZambiaThe United Nations Development Program issued a new report this week that once again sounded the alarm on the urgent need for debt relief in the world's poorest countries. The UNDP said 54 countries are at risk, with African countries accounting for almost half.
Zambia, however, is among a handful of countries that is actually making progress in restructuring its debt. Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says he's optimistic that a deal can be finalized before the end of the year and China has played a critical role in the process.
Bloomberg reporters Tom Hancock and Matthew Hill have been covering the...2022-10-1348 minThe China Africa ProjectChina and India's Steadily Deteriorating RelationshipIt wasn't that long ago that many people thought the longtime rivalry between India and China had begun to subside. In fact, Xi Jinping traveled to India in 2019, his second visit as president, for a profile, seemingly amicable summit with Narendra Modi. But a lot can change in three years.
Today, ties between the two Asian giants are bad and getting worse. Both countries are locked in a bitter stand-off along their disputed border high above in the Himalayas and are engaged in seemingly daily disputes over trade, technology, and geopolitical issues.
And experts like The Hindu newspaper's China correspondent...2022-10-1154 min
The China Africa ProjectAfrica Again is the Backdrop for a Chinese Blockbuster MovieHome Coming is the latest Chinese blockbuster movie set in Africa that registered big box office returns during its Golden Week opening. The film is set in the fictitious North African country of Numia and tells the story based on the 2011 evacuation of thousands of Chinese nationals from Libya ahead of the civil war.
Francophone Editor Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the role that Africa and Africans play in Chinese blockbusters like Home Coming and its more famous predecessor Wolf Warrior 2.
MOVIE TRAILERS DISCUSSED IN THE SHOW:
Home Coming: https://youtu.be/AxEq_LfhMGQ
Operation Red Sea: https...2022-10-0842 minThe China Africa ProjectNosmot Gbadamosi on US-China Competition in Africa, Debt and "Preventative Infrastructure"Ghanaian Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia commissioned a new road this week built by the Chinese conglomerate Sinohydro and paid for as part of a $2 billion bauxite barter deal with the company. The timing of this new road opening, though, is critical as Ghana grapples with the effects of climate change and a rapidly deteriorating economy.
Nosmot Gbadamosi, writer of Foreign Policy's widely-read Africa Brief newsletter, joins Eric & Cobus from Lagos to discuss why this kind of infrastructure that the Chinese built in Ghana in just 13 months is so important for West Africa's ongoing battle against the effects of climate change.
...2022-09-3052 minThe China Africa ProjectWhy the U.S. And Israel Are Not Aligned on ChinaIsrael and China are reportedly in the final stages of negotiating a free trade agreement that both sides say will be done before the end of the year. This may come as a surprise to some given how relations between the two countries have been a bit rocky this past year over issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, and pressure from the U.S.
But Israeli officials have made it clear to the U.S. that while they understand why Beijing makes them nervous, the Jewish State simply does not share those same concerns.
Alexander Pevzner, an adjunct lecturer at the...2022-09-2757 minThe China Africa ProjectAfrican Leaders, China Make It Clear They're Unhappy With the Current International SystemAfrican leaders one after another took the podium at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) this week to express their deep frustrations with the international system and how unfairly it treats developing countries. “It is time for a fairer, more inclusive global governance that is more adapted to the realities of our time,” declared AU Chair and Senegalese President Macky Sall.
Meantime, China sought to lead that change and made a big push on the sidelines of the UNGA for its new Global Development Initiative (GDI) that Beijing hopes will reorient the current international order more in line with its development prio...2022-09-231h 05The China Africa ProjectNavigating the Belt & Road in SE Asia With a New Digital ToolkitOctober marks the 9th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and after all these years, nearly a decade later, many people around the world are still trying to figure out what exactly the BRI is. What is certain, though, is that China has pulled back considerably on BRI-related financing in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa and the Americas.
But in Asia, it's a different story. Chinese lenders are still plowing billions of dollars to build badly-needed infrastructure and that prompted the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) to try and help stakeholders on all...2022-09-2057 minThe China Africa ProjectWeek in Review: Illegal mining in Ghana, US Disillusionment in the DRC & #ChinaAfricaSpaceTalkAisha Huang, aka the "Galamsey Queen," surprised everyone when she was arrested again for illegal mining in Ghana. What does her arrest say about the government's efforts to combat illicit Chinese mining? Plus, a new report says the U.S. is "disillusioned" with the Congolese government for not doing more to push back against Chinese mining companies. And, African youth in 8 countries get the chance to speak with astronauts aboard the Chinese Space Station.
Francophone Editor Christian-Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the top China-Africa stories of the week plus the latest installment of "Where in the world is...2022-09-091h 14The China Africa ProjectWhy Zainab Usman is Cautiously Optimistic About the New U.S. Policy For AfricaAfrica is increasingly becoming a main stage for great power competition. Last week, Japan wrapped up its triennial Africa summit where they threw some shade China's way. A few weeks earlier, the U.S. unveiled a refreshed foreign policy strategy for the continent, and China remains intensely focused on bolstering ties with African governments -- partially as a hedge against heightened U.S. pressure elsewhere.
While U.S. officials have said for years that it's important for Washington to focus on Africa and step up its engagement across the board, there's been very little in the way of action. But...2022-09-051h 14The China Africa ProjectUpdate on the Chinese Cobalt Stand-off in the DR CongoTensions between Chinese mining China Moly and the Congolese state-owned mining Gécamines appear to be deteriorating further amid an ongoing stand-off over the massive TFM copper and cobalt mine in the southern DRC.
Shipments have reportedly been halted due to a bitter contractual dispute between the two sides, and given this is the world's largest cobalt mine, the impact of this stand-off could be far-reaching.
Francophone Editor Christian-Geraud Neema joins Eric to discuss the latest developments in this escalating crisis.
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FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND A...2022-08-2832 minThe China Africa ProjectAfrica in the New Era of U.S.-China Great Power CompetitionChinese President Xi Jinping is widely expected to soon re-emerge on the global stage after a nearly three-year absence. Where is still unknown, but when it does happen it's going to create a much tenser, more confrontational atmosphere at upcoming summits in Indonesia and Thailand where he'll sit alongside U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders.
Eurasia Group Senior Analyst Ali Wyne will be closely following Xi's reemergence. Ali is one of Washington's foremost observers of the burgeoning Sino-U.S. great power rivalry and the author of a new book on the subject "America's Great-Power Opportunity: Revitalizing U...2022-08-241h 10The China Africa ProjectWeek in Review: Kenya elections, Chinese mining woes in DRC & Xi Jinping's travelsKenya's got a new president who has vowed to get tough on the Chinese, particularly when it comes to publishing contracts and cracking down on illegal immigration. Plus, Chinese mining giant CMOC is encountering new difficulties at its massive cobalt mine in the southern DRC.
Eric & Cobus break down some of the week's top China-Africa stories and discuss where in the world is Xi Jinping going.
SHOW NOTES:
Wang Cheng, Chinese Ministry of Commerce: twitter.com/SadiqChengWang
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Français: www.projetafriquechine.c...2022-08-2048 minThe China Africa ProjectWeek in Review: Kenya Elections, Zambian Debt & Blinken's Africa TourThe Chinese government pushed back this week against the U.S. and its new foreign policy strategy for Africa. The Foreign Ministry dismissed Washington's emphasis on democracy as mere rhetoric, while the railways, roads, and other infrastructure that China's built speak for itself.
Also this week, a senior U.S. official again accused China of engaging in predatory lending in Africa without apparently knowing that Beijing also led a landmark debt restructuring deal for Zambia.
Emmanuel Matambo, research director at the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, has been closely following these events and joins Eric & Cobus...2022-08-1258 minThe China Africa ProjectAfrobarometer CEO Joseph Asunka on Public Perceptions of the U.S. & China in AfricaWhen U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled the White House's new strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, he referenced Afrobarometer polling data to validate Washington's renewed emphasis on democracy promotion. The following day, in criticizing the new U.S. policy towards Africa, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also used Afrobarometer data to make the case for Beijing's engagement strategy on the continent.
What's interesting is that they're both right. The Afrobarometer polling data undermines the simple narratives that too often frame the discourse about how Africans view their ties with these two powers.
Afrobarometer CEO Joseph Asunka joins Eric...2022-08-101h 03The China Africa ProjectWeek in Review: Taiwan, Tesla and Antony Blinken's Upcoming Africa TourChina mounted an intercontinental media response throughout the Global South this week to rage against U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Managing Editor Cobus van Staden and Francophone Editor Geraud Neema break down why developing countries, including several in Africa, who have repeatedly said they want to stay out of the U.S.-China standoff, decided to weigh in on this controversy.
Plus, a preview of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's upcoming Africa tour and what a Tesla battery deal with Chinese suppliers reveals the realities facing the U.S. and other governments that want to...2022-08-051h 01The China Africa ProjectAfrican Exploitation Videos Are Big Business on Chinese Social MediaThe recent BBC documentary "Racism for Sale" pointed a powerful spotlight on the popular Chinese "blessing video" business that is both highly exploitative and very profitable. These videos feature Africans and people from other developing regions, often including children, conveying messages that are often demeaning.
In the weeks following the release of the documentary, most of the attention on this issue was focused on culprit, a 26-year Chinese man by the name of Lu Ke, and people's shock in Malawi and other African countries where these videos were filmed.
But Viola Zhou, a Hong Kong-based reporter for the online technology...2022-07-2949 minThe China Africa ProjectChina's Discourse Power in Africa and the Global SouthChina, like all major governments, uses a variety of tools and methods to influence international public opinion. Some, like CGTN, China Daily, and China Radio International, serve as conventional propaganda that is easy to identify; other tactics are far more subtle yet often very effective in shaping the global conversation about China and its role in the world.
This so-called "discourse power" is now an important field of study. Kenton Thibaut, a China fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Tuvia Gering, also a fellow at the Atlantic Council and a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security...2022-07-1500 min
The China Africa ProjectIt Was a Bad, Very Bad Week For Chinese Mining in AfricaTwo of China's largest and most important mining ventures in Africa encountered major problems this week. In Guinea, the government shut down the Sino-Australian joint venture to operate the massive Simandou iron ore mine, a major blow to Beijing's ambitions to end its reliance on imported Australian ore.
And then in the DRC, authorities reportedly issued a notice to the Chinese management that runs the massive TFM copper/cobalt mine to halt extraction and production.
Francophone Editor and leading African mining expert Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the significance of these two events and why the governments in...2022-07-0857 minThe China Africa ProjectA Discussion With the Journalists Behind the BBC Doc "Racism For Sale"The BBC investigative unit Africa Eye turned a powerful spotlight last month on a multi-million dollar business in China that exploits people in developing regions, including young children in Africa, to produce so-called "blessing videos."
Many of these videos may seem innocuous where Africans hold up signs in Chinese to wish people good luck on a test or sign happy birthday, for example. But many others are highly exploitative and downright demeaning.
Journalists Runako Celina and Henry Mhango led an investigation into the origins of one particularly offensive video that was shot in Malawi that revealed how a Chinese producer...2022-07-0148 minThe China Africa ProjectA Conversation With Huang Ping, China's Consul General in New YorkChina's Consul General in New York City, Huang Ping, is a veteran diplomat with extensive experience in both North America and Africa. Prior to taking on the CG role in NYC, Huang was ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2018.
Huang recently sat down with Eric & Cobus for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of U.S.-China relations, human rights issues, and reflections on his time in Harare. Francophone Editor Geraud Neema also joins the discussion for analysis on the key issues raised in this week's discussion.
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...2022-06-1658 minThe China Africa ProjectThe Politics of Chinese-financed Infrastructure Development in East AfricaHow African governments negotiate infrastructure deals with Chinese lenders and construction companies is far more complex than many assume. While most focus on the role of the head of state, the reality is that the leader is just one of many actors that has a say in the process.
A trio of scholars recently published an in-depth analysis that explores the internal political dynamics for three high-profile Chinese infrastructure projects in East Africa including the Bagamoyo Port in Tanzania, the Adama wind farm in Ethiopia, and the Port of Lamu expansion in Kenya.
Frangton Chiyemura from The Open University, Elisa...2022-06-041h 08The China Africa ProjectIs It Time for a New Non-Aligned Movement?This week marks the 67th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia which brought together 29 Asian and African countries at the height of the Cold War and marked the beginning of what would later become the Non-Aligned Movement. Back then, more than a hundred countries were a part of this movement to avoid being drawn into the U.S.-Soviet dual and to foster greater ties within the so-called "Third World."
Today, as Russia's ties with the U.S. revert to their Cold War chilliness and the U.S. standoff with China intensifies, there are new calls to revive the...2022-04-2157 minThe China Africa ProjectA Discussion With Elizabeth Economy About the World According to ChinaAcclaimed China scholar Elizabeth Economy join Eric & Cobus this week to discuss her new book for 2022 "The World According to China." It's important to note the interview with Elizabeth was recorded before Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the expanded outbreak of COVID-19 in China but it's nonetheless fascinating to see how prescient many of her comments were in the context of the current situation.
Also, Cobus and Eric provide an update on the latest Chinese trade figures and how the severe flooding in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province may impact China's trade with Africa in the weeks ahead. Finally, CAP's Francophone...2022-04-1556 min
The China Africa ProjectQZ Africa Editor Yinka Adegoke on the Current State of China-Africa RelationsThere've been major developments over the past week in the African debt crisis. It appears that Angola and China reached consensus on how to restructure the estimated $20 billion of loans that Luanda owes Beijing. This deal then paved the way for the IMF to come in with its own financial package for Angola. Meantime, Zambia announce that it will default on three Eurobond notes totaling around $3 billion, prompting an immediate downgrade of its credit rating.
Finally, it appears that Kenya's embattled standard gauge railway (SGR) is reaching a breaking point. Kenya Railways is losing almost a ten million dollars a...2020-09-2956 min
The China Africa ProjectThe Blurry Lines Between Chinese Aid and Investment in AfricaFor most countries, aid and investment are two entirely different things. Not with the Chinese, though, where until recently the country's aid programs were actually managed through the Ministry of Commerce.
Because the Chinese have such an opaque system, it's very difficult for outsiders to understand what programs are being managed by which ministry and what are the objectives. Again, this is not the case with other donor countries like the U.S. or the UK where there are high levels of disclosure and transparency in the development finance process.
The Chinese, for their part, do say they are committed...2019-10-0443 min
The China Africa ProjectThe Blurry Lines Between Chinese Aid and Investment in AfricaFor most countries, aid and investment are two entirely different things. Not with the Chinese, though, where until recently the country's aid programs were actually managed through the Ministry of Commerce.
Because the Chinese have such an opaque system, it's very difficult for outsiders to understand what programs are being managed by which ministry and what are the objectives. Again, this is not the case with other donor countries like the U.S. or the UK where there are high levels of disclosure and transparency in the development finance process.
The Chinese, for their part, do say they are committed...2019-10-0443 min
The China Africa ProjectThe Legend of Hambantota and China's "Debt Trap" DiplomacyChina's critics, largely in the U.S., often hold up the Sri Lankan port in Hambantota as the cautionary tale of what purportedly can happen when a developing country fails to pay back its loans to Beijing. Because Sri Lanka fell behind in its payments, according to the story, China, in turn, took control of the port which is all part of a larger Chinese plan to acquire assets around the world from poor, highly indebted countries.
While this narrative is widely believed among certain politicians, the so-called "debt-trap diplomacy" narrative has been debunked by a growing of scholars and...2019-09-2449 min
The China Africa ProjectWhat Should the U.S. Do to More Effectively Compete With China in Africa?In this special edition of the China in Africa podcast, Eric & Cobus join Judd Devermont, Africa Director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Yun Sun, a Non-Resident Fellow at The Brookings Institution, to discuss the future of U.S. foreign policy in Africa and how Washington can more effectively compete with China's growing influence on the continent.
This week's show was recorded at the CSIS studio in Washington and is a joint production with the Into Africa podcast, hosted by Judd and produced by CSIS. Click here to listen to the Into Africa edition of the...2019-08-0946 min
The China Africa ProjectA Conservative American View on U.S.-China-Africa RelationsThis week, Colonel Chris Wyatt, Director of African Studies at the U.S. Army War College, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss a conservative U.S. foreign policy outlook regarding Africa and his views on Chinese engagement on the continent.
Colonel Wyatt is a professional military officer with more than 36 years of experience in security, international development and education in Africa, Europe, Southwest Asia, and North America. He was also the lead military advisor to the U.S. ambassador to the African Union and served as the U.S. Africa Command Liaison Officer to the African Union.
His background in Africa...2019-04-0553 min
The China Africa ProjectWhy Kenyans Should be Wary of Learning to Speak ChineseKenya is the latest African country to integrate Mandarin language studies into its national curriculum, following South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. The curriculum development institute in Nairobi said the new Chinese language teaching plan is complete and will be introduced to primary school students beginning in 2020.
There is certainly a good case to be made that speaking the language of your largest trading partner, and one of Kenya's largest sources of investment, makes a lot of sense. But, language, particularly in Africa is a highly emotive topic.
Daily Nation columnist Eric Wamanji said there are real reasons to be concerned a...2019-02-1036 minThe China Africa ProjectAuthor Mukuka Chipanta's Fictional Portrait of China-Zambia TiesGiven the tensions and controversies that have shaped China's decades-long engagement in Africa, it's a bit surprising that there are so few fictional books on the subject. For some reason, Africa's deep reservoir of talented writers has largely avoided using the Chinese presence on the continent as theme or character in their novels.
The situation is similar in China, where the fictionalization of the Chinese presence in Africa is dominated by big blockbuster movies like Wolf Warrior II and Operation Red Sea.
Zambian-born writer Mukuka Chipanta's 2016 book "A Casualty of Power" is the exception. Mukuka, who is also an aerospace...2019-01-0432 minThe China Africa ProjectWhy South Africa's Large Chinese Population is Known as the "Quiet Community"Known as the "quiet community," the Chinese in South Africa have built complex social and business networks that largely exist outside of the margins of the country's fractious racial and political landscape.
That is now beginning to change with China's emergence as South Africa's most important trading partner and one of the country's largest sources of foreign direct investment.
Barry van Wyk, Project Coordinator of the Africa-China Reporting Project at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, focused on two specific areas, law enforcement and in-language local Chinese media, that have been little-understood by outsiders.
Barry joins Eric & Cobus to discuss th...2018-11-1040 minThe China Africa ProjectThe End of China's Non-Intervention Policy in AfricaDr. Obert Hodzi, a scholar at Boston University's African Studies Center and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki joins Eric & Cobus to discuss his new book "The End of China's Non-Intervention Policy in Africa" and why he thinks this major Chinese policy shift is happening in Africa faster than in other parts of the world.
Join the discussion. Are you concerned about China’s move away from non-interventionism in Africa and elsewhere or do you think Beijing is right to protect its overseas interests? Let us know what you think.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @ob...2018-10-2836 minThe China Africa ProjectDon't Be Fooled by the Numbers, State of China-Africa Trade is HealthyWalter Ruigu, Managing Director of Beijing-based China-Africa Merchant Advisors, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the current state of Sino-African trade relations. In particular, he explains why the data that indicates a dramatic slowdown in two-way trade is misleading due to distortions related to Chinese purchases of African oil.
Join the discussion. Are you concerned about the state of China-Africa trade and how Chinese products are pouring into African markets? Or do you share Walter's optimism that China presents a tremendous opportunity for African exporters? Let us know what you think.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @wruigu
Email: e...2018-10-2038 minThe China Africa ProjectU.S. Wants to Challenge China's Dominance in Development Finance. Here's How They're Going to Do ItU.S. president Donald Trump signed the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development, also known as the BUILD Act, into law on October 5th, creating a powerful new development finance organization that is aimed at challenging China’s dominance in lending to developing countries. The law combines two existing organizations, the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and USAID’s Development Credit Authority to a form a new entity called the International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) with $60 billion in its coffers.
Washington, D.C.-based Africa analyst at the Atlantic Council and an avid IDFC supporter Aubrey Hruby join...2018-10-1439 minThe China Africa ProjectPreviewing the Upcoming FOCAC Summit Through the Media's LensWith the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit now just weeks away, international press coverage of the event is now ramping up. Over the past several weeks, Eric & Cobus have done a number of interviews with journalists around the world about what to expect at the upcoming summit and a few discernable themes that emerged from their questions.
This week, Eric and Cobus discuss the media perceptions of China in different parts of the world that will likely shape how people interpret the outcomes of next month's FOCAC summit.
Join the discussion? Do you agree that different parts of...2018-08-1230 min
The China Africa ProjectChina now a major player in the African aid businessThe politics of aid in Africa are rapidly changing. The United States and Europe are under considerable political and budgetary pressure to curtail their assistance programs, while China is now emerging as a big player in the development sector on the continent. But don’t expect China to play by the same rules as legacy donors warns longtime aid expert Shantha Bloemen who spent more than 20 years working at UNICEF in Africa and Asia.
Shantha joins Eric and Cobus to discuss China’s new aid agenda in Africa and how entire philosophy about aid & development is radically different from that of Wes...2018-06-1641 min
The China Africa ProjectWhat should be on the agenda at this fall’s China-Africa summitFifty-two African leaders will meet with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing this September for the triennial Forum on China Africa Cooperation summit. This fall’s FOCAC gathering comes at a critical time in the Sino-African relationship as Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) gains momentum, putting new pressures on Chinese trade and investment flows to Africa as PRC companies increasingly diversify their investment portfolios in other regions.
Typically the big headline that emerges from FOCAC summits focuses on how much money will the Chinese provide Africa in loans, grants and other financial assistance. The figure has steadily increased over...2018-05-1337 min
The China Africa Project2017 China-Africa Year in Review2017 was an eventful year in China-Africa relations. Overall the two sides remain deeply engaged with one another, however indications began to emerge this year that the relationship is undergoing a profound change. No longer can we expect to see steadily rising China-Africa trade volumes as prices for many African commodity were largely flat in 2017 and China also started to diversify its investment portfolio to other regions around the world, particularly those along the “One Belt, One Road” trade route. Instead, China’s engagement in Africa expanded in new, many non-economic ways, that have the potential to re-shape this critically important geo-po...2017-12-1750 min
The China Africa ProjectHere’s How China Is Changing Africa’s FutureAmid a surge of European and U.S. inward-looking nativist populism, the West's longstanding influence in Africa is in retreat. At the same time, China appears to be doubling-down on globalism with a trillion dollar bet called "One Belt, One Road" or OBOR.
OBOR is China's hugely ambitious global mercantile agenda that aims to connect the PRC to trade routes across the Indian Ocean through the Middle East, Europe and back to China via Central Asia. Already, Beijing has spent an estimated $250 billion, some in Africa where it is either building or has plans to construct railroads, data centers and...2017-09-0331 min
The China Africa ProjectEric Olander: What is China Doing in Africa?What is China doing in Africa?
Is it to establish a beachhead for access to natural resources and commodities? Is it a new frontier for China investment, technology and services? Does China see Africa as the last among market greenfield opportunities, where telecom networks, roads, ports, power plants and payment systems are all in the earliest stages of development?
Some observers question China’s means of doing business in Africa. Specifically, the way Chinese companies extract government concessions or do closed-door deals with the African elite. It feels shady to some, and perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn’t. The ling...2017-08-1838 min
The China Africa ProjectChina's "valueless" foreign policyChina's "valueless" foreign policy by Eric Olander & Cobus van Staden2017-04-0824 min
The China Africa ProjectBONUS EPISODE - Behind the Scenes at The China Africa ProjectThe China Africa Project (CAP) is now the largest multimedia journalism project in the world dedicated to exploring all facets of China's engagement in Africa. With over 600,000 followers across its various platforms, including 30,000 downloads a month of this podcast, the CAP has developed a sizable audience since it launched in 2010.
Every month, CAP co-founders Eric Olander and Cobus van Staden receive multiple inquiries about who is behind the project, how it's funded and if there is any hidden "agenda." In this week's episode, Eric & Cobus take you behind the scenes for an introduction to the hosts, our back-story and future...2017-03-1533 min
The China Africa ProjectThe enduring popularity of Chinese Kung Fu movies in AfricaThe Chinese government is spending billions of dollars around the world to expand its already massive global media footprint. Africa is a major destination for a lot of that investment. Although it is not clear how much money the Chinese have spent to develop Africa-focused economy, the sums are no doubt in the millions of dollars.
The communist party-run CCTV has a production in Kenya, the official China Daily newspaper prints local editions from South Africa and China Radio International (CRI) is broadcast on the local FM dial in a number of a countries across Africa.
While officials in Beijing...2016-10-2328 min
The China Africa ProjectAmid economic turbulence, China-Africa ties face new, uncertain futureEric Olander and Cobus van Staden discuss the impact in Africa of China's faltering economy and how Chinese officials are prompting a new, somewhat counter-intuitive message that the PRC's economic slowdown may actually be a good thing for Africa.
Share your thoughts on today's show and follow the very latest China-Africa news at www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject.
Stay on the top of the week's most important China-Africa news with the China Africa Project's weekly email newsletter. Sign up here: http://on.fb.me/1W3fEpr
Follow us on Twitter:
Eric: @eolander
Cobus: @stadenesque
This podcast is a production of the...2016-02-0731 minThe China in Africa PodcastAmid economic turbulence, China-Africa ties face new, uncertain futureEric Olander and Cobus van Staden discuss the impact in Africa of China's faltering economy and how Chinese officials are prompting a new, somewhat counter-intuitive message that the PRC's economic slowdown may actually be a good thing for Africa.
Share your thoughts on today's show and follow the very latest China-Africa news at www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject.
Stay on the top of the week's most important China-Africa news with the China Africa Project's weekly email newsletter. Sign up here: http://on.fb.me/1W3fEpr
Follow us on Twitter:
Eric: @eolander
Cobus: @stadenesque
This podcast is a production of the...2016-02-0731 min
The China Africa ProjectThe 2015 China-Africa Roundtable at Wits UniversityLeading 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 in December.
The FOCAC meetings occur every three years, typically alternating venues in both China and Africa. In past FOCAC conferences, the mood has been largely upbeat as China showered African leaders with investment and development cash. Now, amid a dramatic slowdown in the Chinese economy, a a plunge in PRC FDI in Africa and the...2015-11-1540 minThe China in Africa PodcastThe 2015 China-Africa Roundtable at Wits UniversityLeading 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 in December.
The FOCAC meetings occur every three years, typically alternating venues in both China and Africa. In past FOCAC conferences, the mood has been largely upbeat as China showered African leaders with investment and development cash. Now, amid a dramatic slowdown in the Chinese economy, a a plunge in PRC FDI in Africa and the...2015-11-1540 min
The China Africa ProjectAudio guide: covering FOCAC 2015This audio guide explores the key themes that await journalists at the upcoming FOCAC leaders summit in Durban, South Africa. Host Eric Olander speaks with two leading Africa-Asia media scholars, Dr. Cobus van Staden of Wits University in Johannesburg and Professor Herman Wasserman from the University of Cape Town, about different ideas on how to cover this year's conference:
- FOCAC: an introduction
- How journalists can prepare to cover FOCAC
- What reporters should avoid
- Understanding your own implicit biases
- Covering FOCAC in the context of Sino-Africa2015-10-1930 min
The China Africa ProjectReporting the China-Africa storyReporting the China-Africa story by Eric Olander & Cobus van Staden2015-09-3023 min
The China Africa ProjectThe news media's mixed record in covering China-Africa tiesNews organizations from across Africa and around the world are devoting more resources to covering China's engagement on the continent. The overall quantity of coverage has undoubtedly increased over the past decade. The key question, though, is whether all of that coverage has produced better quality reporting that is more textured, nuanced and relies less on dated stereotypes of both Chinese and Africans?
The short answer is, well, 'it's complicated.'
Foreign journalists who often swoop in to cover the 'big China-Africa story' often miss the nuances and subtleties of this complicated relationship. Their reporting frequently includes a number of...2015-09-1927 minThe China in Africa PodcastThe news media's mixed record in covering China-Africa tiesNews organizations from across Africa and around the world are devoting more resources to covering China's engagement on the continent. The overall quantity of coverage has undoubtedly increased over the past decade. The key question, though, is whether all of that coverage has produced better quality reporting that is more textured, nuanced and relies less on dated stereotypes of both Chinese and Africans?
The short answer is, well, 'it's complicated.'
Foreign journalists who often swoop in to cover the 'big China-Africa story' often miss the nuances and subtleties of this complicated relationship. Their reporting frequently includes a number of...2015-09-1927 min
The China in Africa PodcastChina in Africa Podcast: Beijing grapples with hostage politicsTwo hostage crises in the same week for the Chinese in Africa may be a new record. It may also portend a dramatic new challenge confronting policy makers in Beijing as they now grapple with the new reality that their citizens make for easy prey in some of the continent's most volatile regions. This week on the podcast, Eric Olander is re-joined by his China Talking Points co-host Michael McCune for a discussion on the policy implications of the spate of Chinese kidnappings in Sudan and Egypt.2012-02-0515 min