China’s support for Mali’s military carries risks: researcher outlines what they are: Mali, a landlocked Sahelian nation of 25 million people, has faced significant instability since 2012, marked by terrorism, state neglect and armed conflicts. That year a Tuareg rebellion started in northern Mali and President Amadou Toumani Touré was ousted in a military coup. …
China’s Everest obsession: following Mallory’s footsteps a century on, I saw how tourism and climate change are transforming the mountain: Chinese tourists at Everest's northern base camp, Rongbuk in Tibet, photograph the world's highest mountain. Carl Cater, CC BY-NC-ND To the discerning eye, other mountains are visible – giants between 23,000 and 26,000 feet high. …
China’s interests in Africa are being shaped by the race for renewable energy: China-Africa relations have deepened over the past two decades, characterised by increased economic cooperation, investment and infrastructure development. China is now Africa’s largest trading partner, with partnerships focused on building roads, railways and energy projects. As the ninth Forum on China–Africa Cooperation …
Panda diplomacy: what China’s decision to send bears to the US reveals about its economy: A deal was signed between San Diego Zoo and China’s Wildlife Conservation Association in February 2024 that paved the way for Chinese giant pandas to return to the US by the end of the summer. But this is far more …
Africa Cup of Nations showcases the continent’s finest footballers – and China’s economic clout: When the Africa Cup of Nations begins on January 13, the opening match between Guinea Bissau and the hosts, Ivory Coast, will be played at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan. The state-of-the-art venue is one of six stadiums being used …
AI: the world is finally starting to regulate artificial intelligence – what to expect from US, EU and China’s new laws: Have a nice day Photo / Shutterstock Most mainstream applications of artificial intelligence (AI) make use of its ability to crunch large volumes of data, detecting patterns and trends within. The results can help …
When Marx met Confucius: Xi Jinping’s attempt to influence China’s intellectual loyalties has met with a mixed reception at home and abroad: A new film series produced in China, When Marx met Confucius, was viewed more than 8 million times in the first two weeks after it was released online in October. But this is …
China’s Belt and Road Initiative turns 10: Xi announces 8 new priorities, continues push for global influence: China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which now includes 44 African countries, got under way 10 years ago. President Xi Jinping launched it in 2013 with a first speech in Kazakhstan and a second one in Indonesia. The initiative …
Putin and Xi: Beijing Belt and Road meeting highlighted Russia’s role as China’s junior partner: The third Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing recently attracted fewer heads of state or senior officials than the previous forums in 2017 and 2019. There were 11 European presidents and prime ministers at the 2019 forum. But last …
Five things that the west doesn’t understand about China’s foreign policy: China’s capacity to surprise western politicians was demonstrated recently, when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was unexpectedly absent from the G20 summit. There were a few reasons why this G20 might have been less important for Xi, including the rising influence of the Brics (Brazil, …
China’s Africa strategy is shifting from extraction to investment – driven from the industry-rich Hunan region: China experienced a massive economic boom in the 1990s and 2000s which increased its demand for resource imports, like oil, from Africa. This led to a model of development finance in which China funded infrastructure in African countries in …
How the British Museum’s new exhibition reveals China’s Hidden Century through everyday lives: The face of the British Museum’s big summer show, China’s Hidden Century, is that of an elderly woman wearing jade earrings, dressed in a blue robe with ornate gold embroidery decorating its collar. It is an image painted, we discover in the …
China’s gallium and germanium controls: what they mean and what could happen next: From August, China is to restrict exports of gallium and germanium, two critical elements for making semiconductor chips. With China dominating the supply of both elements, exporters will now need special licences to get them out of the country. The move has …
China’s economic recovery is built on increasingly shaky foundations and that could affect the whole world: People shopping in downtown Shanghai, China. LMspencer/Shutterstock Confidence in China’s post-COVID recovery has started to waver over the past week after the world’s second-largest economy reported disappointing figures for two of the major drivers of its economy: property and …
China’s population grew older and richer: policy lessons for some African countries: China's population peaked, and is now falling. Tang Ke/VCG via Getty Images For decades China was the world’s most populous country. But that’s changed. Its population has peaked, and is now falling. The country has achieved high levels of economic growth for four …
China’s population has peaked and is now falling – opportunities and risks for Africa: Oleg Elkov/GettyImages China will no longer be the world’s most populous nation. India’s population will overtake it this year at an estimated population of 1.42 billion. It’s an epochal transition which speaks to other underlying demographic changes across the world, including …
Western anger over China’s ambiguity on Ukraine cannot hide growing divisions in EU over support for Kyiv: Much like Washington’s stance on Taiwan, China’s position on the invasion of Ukraine has been one of “strategic ambiguity”. China has consistently emphasised the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity while failing to condemn the invasion and reassuring …
China’s latest diplomatic move will extend its trade, energy, financial and maritime power: China’s billions of dollars in global investments and infrastructure projects seem to be paying off politically and economically. Just recently, Honduras signalled it is set to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, having been one of the few remaining countries to recognise the …