DISPATCHES Vol 64 No 2 | CHINAAFRICA Beijing turns table on debt trap diplomacy claims 17th January 2023 On his January swing through Africa, China's new foreign minister has scored with subtle diplomacy, dropping the wolf warrior tactics favoured by some of his colleagues Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang's remarks that multilateral lenders and commercial creditors should carry the biggest blame for the debt distress of some African states comes as a... READ FOR FREE
Vol 63 No 17 | CHINAAFRICA Beijing turns around on debt 25th August 2022 China's decision to waive repayment of 23 interest-free loans owed by 17 African countries and redirect $10 billion of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) reserves to the continent...
Vol 63 No 15 | GUINEACONGO-KINSHASACHINA Beijing recalibrates its contracts 21st July 2022 Chinese mining companies are under growing pressure in Africa, as they face fresh demands from governments over payments and infrastructure related to globally strategic operations. Disputes in Guinea...
DISPATCHES Vol 63 No 7 | CHINAEAST AFRICAHORN OF AFRICA Beijing plans pioneering peace conference in the Horn of Africa 28th March 2022 Working with Ethiopia and Kenya, China's envoy Xue Bing promises to send engineers and scientists, not arms China is to step up and diversify its regional role in the Horn and East Africa by organising a peace conference this year to be jointly hosted by... READ FOR FREE
Vol 62 No 24 | CONGO-KINSHASACHINA Inside the mining mega deal 2nd December 2021 Touted as a new development model, the 'deal of the century' set a terrible example on corruption A scholar who delivers lectures on doing business in Africa has emerged as the lynchpin of a massive bribery scandal drawing in Chinese business magnates and some of...
DISPATCHES Vol 62 No 24 | KENYACHINA Finance costs threaten the Nairobi-Mombasa express 29th November 2021 A showpiece for Beijing-Nairobi cooperation the Standard Gauge Railway project is also one of the world's costliest Concerns are rising about Kenya's capacity to repay the hefty loans it took from Chinese contractors and banks to finance the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as the cost... READ FOR FREE
Vol 62 No 21 | CHINAAFRICA Beijing uses its economic leverage 20th October 2021 As geopolitical divides get sharper, China is accused of using debts owed by African states to compel support for its diplomatic and security goals African diplomats are becoming exasperated by China's demands for diplomatic support on every issue from Covid-19's origins to the human rights of the Uighurs in Xinjiang province, whether...
Vol 57 No 3 | DJIBOUTICHINA Bengal paper tiger 5th February 2016 Concern about China's new naval base in Djibouti is not going away after Indian forces spotted a Chinese submarine in the Bay of Bengal. China signed an agreement...
Vol 56 No 16 | CHINAEAST AFRICA From East to East 30th July 2015 Questions are multiplying about the costs and sustainability of China’s loans for the region's grand projects It is Africa's fastest-growing trade route with Asia. Chinese investment in East Africa is rocketing as Beijing seeks access to the region's rich hydrocarbon and mineral reserves as...
Vol 56 No 10 | ERITREACHINA Sam Pa's pals in Asmara 15th May 2015 The secretive Chinese business executive Sam Pa (aka Xu Jinghua and other aliases) shares an intriguing past with Eritrea's equally publicity-shy leaders. This emerged from a new report...