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foreign policy and global economy

Archive for the category “Africa”

02 Sep 2018

Trade Deficit Tops China-Africa Summit In Beijing

Chinese tourists in South Africa. Pix/LBB

The continent is an important part of Xi’s Belt and Road initiative – a plan to bolster a network of infrastructure connecting China by land and sea to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. China has pledged $126bn for the plan, which has been praised by its supporters as a source of vital financing for the developing world. Critics say Africa is loading itself up on Chinese debt that countries may struggle to repay, with estimates ranging in the tens of billions of dollars.

Read Here – Al Jazeera

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28 Aug 2018

A Quick Look At The Forum On China-Africa Cooperation

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 2018 Beijing Summit is scheduled for Sept. 3-4 in the Chinese capital.  Established 18 years ago in Beijing, the FOCAC has achieved fruitful results and has become a significant mark of China-Africa cooperation.

Read Here – ECNS

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23 Jul 2018

What To Know About China’s Ties With Africa, From Aid To Infrastructure

China’s engagement with Africa has accelerated over the decades as the middle kingdom eyes the world’s second largest continent for opportunities for economic growth and geopolitical influence. President Xi Jinping’s visits this week to Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa and Mauritius – his first overseas trips of the year – are expected to build ties and extend Beijing’s influence on the continent.

Read Here – South China Morning Post

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06 Jul 2018

Ethiopia: A Regional Power In The Making?

At first glance Ethiopia may appear weak relative to the foreign powers with a growing interest in the area, but history shows that the country has the potential to be much more powerful than it is today. Two empires predating modern Ethiopia – the Aksum Empire (A.D. 100-940) and the Ethiopian Empire (1270-1974) – amassed enough power to define at various points the course of events on the Horn of Africa.

Read Here – Geopolitical Futures

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24 May 2018

How Africa Is Bucking The Isolationist Trend

The world seems to be moving away from multilateralism. The United States has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris agreement on climate change, attacked the World Trade Organization, and threatened to start several trade wars. The United Kingdom is negotiating a messy exit from the European Union. But one place is bucking the trend. Over the past decade, Africa has moved rapidly toward regional integration.

Read Here – Foreign Affairs

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10 Apr 2018

Can China Realise Africa’s Dream Of An East-West Transport Link?

China has been crucial to getting the rail portion of the project off the ground. After more than a decade of disagreements with a Franco-Canadian consortium, the governments of Senegal and Mali signed separate agreements with China Railway Construction Corporation in 2015. Senegal’s deal comes to $1.24 billion, and will be funded by a Chinese loan, payable over 30 years at 2% interest.

Read Here – RealClearWorld

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18 Feb 2018

What Happens When A Major World City Runs Dry?

Residents of this coastal city of 4 million have begun stockpiling bottled water and lining up at natural springs. The reason? Cape Town, a global tourist destination and South Africa’s second-largest city, may soon switch off its taps. Dams are running low in the midst of an extreme three-year drought, one that has been compounded by extended delays in new infrastructure investments. “Day Zero” — the date when officials plan to shut down the municipal supply and start dispensing rations from some 200 collection points — is now expected to arrive in June, a month after the winter rains usually begin.

Read Here – Foreign Policy

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14 Feb 2018

How Djibouti Became China’s Gateway To Africa

Djibouti, one of Africa’s smallest countries, has become China’s “strategic partner.” The Chinese have built a military base and a port, and is currently constructing a free trade zone, fast establishing it as Beijing’s gateway to the continent.

Read Here – Der Spiegel

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14 Feb 2018

Two Certainties And One Very Big Elephant In The Room

Two things are certain: ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa will take over the Presidency of the country once Jacob Zuma steps down, and Zuma has agreed to do so. One massively big elephant remains in the room, however, and that is: when exactly will Zuma go?

Read Here – Daily Maverick

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08 Feb 2018

The Trials Of Jacob Zuma

Today, after eight years as South Africa’s leader, and 10 years in charge of the governing ANC, Jacob Zuma’s laughter has turned against him. To many in this country it has become a jarring, charmless cliche – the hollow mirth of a man whose presidency is widely blamed for the corruption, misrule and economic stagnation that now afflict a nation.

Read Here – BBC

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