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PODCAST

The China in Africa Podcast

The China-Global South Project

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.

news politics

All Episodes

38:30

[GLOBAL SOUTH] Should China Use Its Influence With...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/04/22

Senior U.S. leaders have once again called on China to use its considerable economic leverage to persuade Iran to change its behavior in the escalating conflict with Israel. Various U.S. have made this same request on several occasions already, going back all the way to the day after Hamas launched its assault on southern Israel on October 7th. Each time, though, those U.S. appeals have largely been ignored by the Chinese. That raises two important questions: why does the U.S. keep asking if nothing

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46:31

U.S.-China Competition for Africa's Critical Resources

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/04/19

China maintains a massive lead over the U.S. and other G7 countries in both mining and refining capacity in Africa, a key vulnerability that policymakers in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere say they're determined to rectify. A new report from the United States Institute of Peace lays out a roadmap for how the U.S. can close that gap with China to achieve mineral security while protecting local labor and environmental standards. Terence McCulley, a senior visiting expert for West Africa at USIP and a

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49:32

The State of Chinese Tech in Africa With Benjamin Dada

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/04/12

For much of the past ten years, Chinese technology in Africa focused largely on devices and infrastructure. But today, the conversations also include issues related to governance, online services, and the emergence of artificial intelligence. Benjamin Dada, founder of the popular African tech news site BenDada.com, joins Eric to discuss the latest Chinese tech trends on the continent and why Chinese firms are still outpacing their competitors. JOIN THE DISCUSSION:

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54:46

Labor Relations at Chinese Construction Sites in Africa

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/04/05

Few topics have shaped perceptions about China's engagement in Africa more than the presence of Chinese construction sites across the continent. Chinese contractors have built countless ports, roads, railways, and more, but how that work was done has been very controversial over the years. There've been widespread complaints about mismanagement, abuse, and discrimination at Chinese-run construction sites across the continent. While there's no doubt some veracity to those claims, many of the

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30:24

[GLOBAL SOUTH] Why a Chinese-backed Canal Project in...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/04/03

Former Cambodian strongman Hun Sen was in Beijing last week lobbying the Chinese government to move forward with the $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal project which his son, President Hun Manet, has made the centerpiece of his new administration. The new canal would connect Phnom Penh's inland port to Kep province on the Gulf of Thailand, creating a new transport link for Cambodia's garment and agricultural exporters, among others. However, the project is also raising concerns in neighboring Vietnam

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50:44

Tang Xiaoyang on Why the U.S., Not China is to Blame...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/03/28

While many in the West still contend Africa's worsening debt crisis is largely due to excessive Chinese lending, Tsinghua University Professor Tang Xiaoyang argues that accusation just isn't true. Instead, the well-known China-Africa scholar contends the main problems facing African borrowers today are anchored in the United States. Most of Africa's debt is priced in U.S. dollars, which is now much more expensive than it was just a few years ago due to higher interest rates set by the Federal

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43:31

[GLOBAL SOUTH] Chinese EV Brands Want to Dominate...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/03/26

Enthusiasm for electric vehicles is waning in both the U.S. and China, but that is definitely not the case in other parts of the world where EV adoption rates are steadily rising. In fact, at the Bangkok Motor Show this week, Chinese EV brands are grabbing all of the attention. Throughout the Global South, Chinese EV brands are expanding their presence in both manufacturing and sales. And unlike U.S.-made EVs that are largely expensive luxury vehicles, the Chinese brands are focusing on small,

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51:06

WEEK IN REVIEW: Why Angola is the "Vietnam of Africa"

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/03/22

Angolan President João Lourenço returned from a three-day visit to China loaded with goodies. He secured an upgrade in diplomatic ties, promises of new investment and, most importantly, a major reduction in monthly debt payments. Lourenço's success in China comes as Luanda is also luring massive engagement from the U.S., prompting some observers to suggest that Angola now joins a select group of middle-power states like Vietnam that are strategically benefitting from the rivalry between Washington

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54:42

[GLOBAL SOUTH] Author Jeremy Garlick on China's...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/03/20

U.S. and European officials often lament that they've fallen behind China when it comes to engaging Africa, Asia, the Americas, and other developing regions. Western governments aren't set up to rapidly deploy the kind of money and resources that Beijing's done with its Belt and Road Initiative over the past ten years. While the U.S. and Europe are now trying to catch up, author Jeremy Garlick writes in his new book Advantage China: Agent of Change in an Era of Global Disruption that their efforts

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01:04:31

China's Slowing Economy Could be a Catalyst for...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/03/14

Angolan President João Lourenço kicked off a three-day visit to China this week that will take him to Beijing and Shandong Province. The timing of Lourenço's trip comes as the Chinese economy is facing enormous challenges amid a plunge in FDI, surging youth unemployment and much slower growth. The easy Chinese money for African leaders is no longer there and that may not be a bad thing, says Gyude Moore from the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. Gyude wrote a column this month that

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50:46

A Call for African & Latin American Countries to...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/03/08

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed this week the triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) conference that will take place later this year in Beijing will, in fact, be a leaders summit. Before the FOCAC summit, Latin American and Caribbean leaders will take part in a similar gathering known as the China-CELAC forum. It's rather unusual that both are taking place in the same year and that's got some analysts suggesting representatives from African and Latin American countries would

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56:19

[GLOBAL SOUTH] Surveying the Geopolitical Landscape...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/03/05

The escalating tensions between China, the Philippines and the United States in the South China Sea highlight how Southeast Asia is now the most dangerous frontline in the burgeoning Great Power competition between Beijing and Washington. But as this week's ASEAN summit in Australia highlights, there is no consensus in the region over how the Southeast Asian bloc's 11 member states are responding to the rapidly changing geopolitical environment. This week, Eric spoke with Prasanth Parmeswaran, a

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46:13

Chinese Diplomacy in Sierra Leone and Nigeria With...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/02/29

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio is in the midst of a five-day visit to China that included talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, among other high-level officials. While Bio is getting a lot of face-time with China’s political elites, the more pressing question is what he is actually getting out of the visit. Tobi Oshodi, a political science lecturer at Lagos State University and a long-time Africa-China scholar, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the visit and the current state of

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43:43

[GLOBAL SOUTH] China and the Indonesia Nickel Trade:...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/02/28

A lot of EV consumers bought new battery-powered cars in the hope it would be better for the environment than a vehicle with a conventional internal combustion engine that runs on fossil fuels. By some measures, that's no doubt true. But many of these early adopters are also unaware their supposedly "green" cars aren't quite as carbon neutral as promised and that there are serious labor and human rights problems related to the metals used to manufacture the batteries that power those EVs. Krista

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01:08:07

What Exactly is the "Global South"?

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/02/23

Academics and think tank analysts, predominantly in the U.S. and Europe, spend a lot of time debating whether it's appropriate to use the nomenclature "Global South" to describe developing countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, among other regions. In those regions, it's actually less of an issue where framings like "South-South" are commonplace. The use of the word "South" doesn't seem to be as sensitive an issue as it is for those observers in the "Global North." This week, Jorge Heine, a

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31:14

[GLOBAL SOUTH] China-Indonesia Ties in the New...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/02/21

They're still counting the votes in Indonesia after last week's election but it's all but certain that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto will become the country's next president. While some of the world's major powers like the U.S. and India are holding back their official congratulations, the Chinese weren't so reserved. Ambassador Lu Kang went to Prabowo's private residence on Sunday and was photographed playing with the likely-president's cat Bobby -- a clear signal Beijing is keen to build a

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54:11

Africa's Digital Sovereignty in the Era of U.S.-China...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/02/16

In the increasingly acrimonious competition between the U.S. and China over technology standards, it's often assumed that smaller countries in places like Africa lack the necessary agency to determine their digital destinies. In some instances, that is, in fact, true, given that technology is developing much faster than most governments, particularly those with weak state capacity, can regulate. But it's also starting to change as a new generation of young thought leaders is laying out a bold vision

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49:53

Africa's Debt Dilemma: The Urgent Need for More...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/02/09

For the first time in years, a few African countries are venturing back into the bond market to raise funds for infrastructure and to pay down their debts. However, borrowing more from private creditors is a risky move given the difficulties that many African governments, namely Zambia, have encountered in restructuring their existing debt portfolios. And if Zambia's experience is anything to go by, it's taught us that whatever global financial safety net was in place to help countries in distress

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01:00:47

WEEK IN REVIEW: Kenya to Overhaul China Policy &...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/02/01

Kenya has a new envoy to China, Willy Bett, who formally presented his credentials to President Xi Jinping this week. Among Ambassador Bett's first tasks will be to follow up on Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi's promise to craft a new China policy. Mudavadi, who just returned from a three-day trip to Beijing, said a policy refresh is long overdue. Eric, Geraud and Cobus discuss the key issues that will influence that process. Plus, Geraud provides a detailed breakdown of DR

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52:27

[GLOBAL SOUTH] China's New Investment Priorities In...

The China in Africa Podcast ·

2024/01/31

For much of the past year, there's been a lot of talk about China's new leaner, more focused Belt and Road Initiative that goes by the mantra "Smart and Beautiful." The problem is very few people actually know what it looks like in practice. But that's starting to change, particularly in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) where two seemingly contradictory investment trends are taking place: overall Chinese FDI in the region is down but in key areas, so-called "new infrastructure,"

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433 results

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