Sometimes a throwaway sentence is more illuminating than it ought to be. A line in an article in Roads & Kingdoms in January about the…
China in Africa
Chinese conglomerates are making the most of Africa's cheap labor, natural resources, and need for infrastructure. We examine how much those countries benefit; what political influence China gets from its investments; and the culture clashes that arise between locals and Chinese already living and working in African countries both large and small.
AMBITIOUS
Zimbabwe is trying to transform itself into a leading tech hub with China’s help
Harare, Zimbabwe There’s a quiet buzz in Zimbabwe right now for the opportunity of informational and communications technology might have as a transformational impact on…
SOFT POWER
The movie theater will be the next target for China to dig deeper roots in Africa
Some observers of China’s global rise conclude that its influence is limited to military and economic capabilities. For example, it’s set to overtake the US…
NO TO COAL
A Chinese coal plant on a UNESCO-protected island in Kenya is facing major protests
Environmental activists in Kenya are determined to show that coal has no place in the country’s energy future. This week, dozens of activists descended on…
MILITARY MIGHT
China is expanding its military footprint in Africa
China has announced it will host the inaugural China-Africa defense and security forum later this month, signaling its deepening engagement in Africa. Military officials say…
"NO WATER, NO LIFE"
A $10 billion China deal to mine bauxite in Ghana is facing fierce environmental pushback
Accra, Ghana At 232 square kilometers, the Atewa Forest Reserve in Ghana’s Eastern Region is home to rare flora and fauna including two butterfly species…
CURRENCY SWITCH
There is growing momentum to adopt China’s yuan as a reserve currency in Africa
African central bank leaders are currently discussing whether to hold the yuan as part of their foreign reserves, highlighting the Chinese money’s rise as one…
BYE 🇹🇼 HELLO 🇨🇳
Taiwan now has one diplomatic ally left in Africa
For Taiwan, the list of its diplomatic allies in Africa has dwindled to all but one nation. This week, Burkina Faso said it would cut…
DIVERSITY TRAINING
China is exporting facial recognition software to Africa, expanding its vast database
For all the promise it holds for the future, artificial intelligence is still guilty of historic bias. Voice recognition software struggles with English accents that…
HOT DESTINATION
Africa is now a favorite destination for Chinese tourists and tens of thousands of them are coming
Chinese travelers are the world’s top tourism spenders, shelling out almost $260 billion in 2017 alone. A growing part of that spend is now happening…
NEOCOLONIALIST GRASS
Chinese debt doesn’t have to be a problem for African countries
The Angolan newspaper Expansão had an intriguing front page cover this week. It declared, “Every Angolan owes $745 to China.” It also listed debt to…
BEIJING CONSENSUS
The growing membership of a China-led development bank challenges the IMF-World Bank orthodoxy
Kenya has become the latest country to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the China-led financier established to fund infrastructure projects along with schemes…
