https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/325542/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion on relations between China and countries in Africa, covering trade, resources and the Belt and Road Initiative. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage At events marking China’s National Day in Africa on October 1, robots provided the entertainment. In Luanda, Angola, dancing robots amused guests and ambassador Zhang Bin called the industry “a small snapshot of the Chinese economy’s move towards innovation and higher-quality development”. In Brazzaville, Congo, nearly 400 guests – including Congolese officials and Chinese business representatives – watched on as a robot dog performed. Guests also interacted with a robot dog at a Chinese New... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370299/can-chinas-dancing-robots-swing-some-new-business-partners-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370299/can-chinas-dancing-robots-swing-some-new-business-partners-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:00:07 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Last month, Hong Kong had been promoting its role as a financing and professional services hub for Belt and Road Initiative expansion. Tanzania offers a useful reminder that signing deals is only the beginning. More than 6,000 participants attended Hong Kong’s Belt and Road... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369527/tanzania-could-offer-test-hong-kongs-belt-and-road-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369527/tanzania-could-offer-test-hong-kongs-belt-and-road-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When the Auspicious Ark entered Dakar, Senegal, on September 25, the scene looked closer to a public health mission than a naval deployment. Senegalese people and members of the Chinese community were waiting at the port as the vessel arrived for the first visit by a Chinese naval hospital ship to Senegal. The Auspicious Ark is a PLA Navy vessel. That places the visit within a wider Chinese maritime presence in Africa, something more often associated with anti-piracy patrols, port calls,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369439/chinas-hospital-ships-project-different-kind-naval-power-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369439/chinas-hospital-ships-project-different-kind-naval-power-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage From online-gambling rings in eSwatini to SIM swapping in Kenya and cybercrime networks in Zambia, a wave of cross-border fraud is drawing African governments and China into closer security cooperation. China hosted East African security ministers and police chiefs in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, on September 10 for talks on terrorism, kidnapping, online fraud and other cross-border threats. China’s public security minister, Wang Xiaohong, said Beijing would strengthen law-enforcement... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369660/china-and-africa-boost-law-enforcement-ties-crackdown-cross-border-cybercrime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369660/china-and-africa-boost-law-enforcement-ties-crackdown-cross-border-cybercrime?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez China has upgraded its military base in Djibouti with communications equipment a US think tank says is “likely enhancing” the country’s ability to collect signals intelligence – potentially giving the PLA a window on foreign military operations in Djibouti and the wider Middle East. The Chinese facility sits within 16km (10 miles) of US, French, Italian and Japanese military bases, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in an unusually concentrated environment in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368246/djibouti-base-upgrade-may-offer-pla-window-foreign-military-middle-east-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368246/djibouti-base-upgrade-may-offer-pla-window-foreign-military-middle-east-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:58:37 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage For more than a decade, China has deployed warships to the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia. For much of that time, piracy in the region has been in sharp decline. Now, however, with attacks at their highest reported level since 2013 and other naval forces engaged in crises elsewhere, Beijing’s long-running escort mission is being tested. The renewed attacks and hijacking for ransom come as the US Navy focuses on operations connected to the war on Iran, and India sends ships towards the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368114/somali-piracy-rise-tests-chinas-long-running-gulf-aden-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368114/somali-piracy-rise-tests-chinas-long-running-gulf-aden-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Six Chinese J-16 fighter jets arrived in Egypt last month for a joint exercise in what was the aircraft’s first known deployment in Africa. In Egyptian airspace, Chinese pilots had the rare chance to train against the Rafale, an advanced French-built fighter. The 6,000km (3,700-mile) deployment was completed in about nine hours with aerial refuelling, and tested China’s ability to move and support a combat-capable air package far from home. Analysts say the exercise reflects a decades-long... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367972/africa-becoming-testing-ground-chinese-power-projection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367972/africa-becoming-testing-ground-chinese-power-projection?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Rick Boost Rick Boost The start and end points of the Silk Road at its historical peak are crucial to its significance. Land routes wound for thousands of miles from China over mountains and deserts, concluding in the Middle East, connecting the age’s two world leaders in scientific and economic power: the Tang dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate. While systems of trade have radically changed in the centuries since, the modern iteration of this link, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has firmly established a new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3367524/digital-silk-road-hong-kong-acts-financial-bridge-between-china-and-mena?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3367524/digital-silk-road-hong-kong-acts-financial-bridge-between-china-and-mena?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is moving early to secure a role in Sudan’s reconstruction, pursuing port and power agreements with the army-backed government while the war continues and many Western countries maintain only a limited presence. One expert also said Beijing was using the prospect of future investment as a bilateral incentive to encourage warring parties to cease hostilities. Sudan signed an agreement with the China Harbour Engineering Company in July to upgrade existing ports and build new ones. Meanwhile,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365972/china-bets-early-port-and-power-deals-sudan-secure-post-war-economic-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365972/china-bets-early-port-and-power-deals-sudan-secure-post-war-economic-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage A young Malagasy woman was stopped at Madagascar’s Ivato International Airport last month as she prepared to travel to China for a proposed marriage, according to local media reports citing police. She had reportedly been promised 10 million ariary (US$2,300) once she arrived and married a Chinese man. The case led police to investigate a suspected network involved in arranging similar marriages. Four people were detained, and police reportedly recovered false stamps, documents and 10 Malagasy... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367115/chinese-men-warned-over-bridal-scams-marriage-squeeze-drives-search-wives-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367115/chinese-men-warned-over-bridal-scams-marriage-squeeze-drives-search-wives-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 08:00:06 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu In the US, the push is on to “drill, baby, drill”. In China, the national strategy is to “walk towards the light”. Two energy behemoths, two contrasting approaches to energy. For African countries working out which way to go, the deciding factor is cost and, with China’s advances in solar generation and battery technologies making acquisitions cheaper, a consensus is coalescing across the continent around renewables. “Africa’s solar revolution is here,” said Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366527/how-chinas-green-tech-undercutting-trumps-drill-baby-drill-oil-strategy-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366527/how-chinas-green-tech-undercutting-trumps-drill-baby-drill-oil-strategy-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Egypt’s expanded currency swap with China may help bring the yuan into wider use in trade and investment, but experts say any reduced reliance on the US dollar will not happen in a hurry. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi this week backed greater use of their currencies, while linking closer financial ties to plans for new factories, energy projects and digital infrastructure. A joint statement released on Wednesday during Xi’s state visit to Cairo... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366430/china-expands-currency-swap-egypt-trade-ties-reach-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366430/china-expands-currency-swap-egypt-trade-ties-reach-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang The West African country of Burkina Faso has tested what observers say is a Chinese Sky Dragon 30 surface-to-air missile, in the latest sign that Chinese military equipment manufacturers are making inroads into the central Sahel state. In footage released by the Burkinabe president’s office on Tuesday, multiple missiles were fired from a mobile launch vehicle. A matching search radar vehicle also appeared in the video. The footage is part of a documentary series marking the fourth anniversary in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366379/burkina-faso-sky-dragon-30-missiles-point-chinas-military-export-inroads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366379/burkina-faso-sky-dragon-30-missiles-point-chinas-military-export-inroads?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The latest US visa restrictions on citizens of African countries are facing increasing criticism that they are not only punitive but also likely to backfire by driving those nations closer to China. Since August 1, visa services have been suspended in 25 African cities, forcing applicants to travel to other approved locations, sometimes in another country. Travellers from 30 African nations must also post a US$20,000 bond, which is refundable if they depart on time. Separately, 26 countries face... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366306/china-stands-gain-us-visa-restrictions-targeting-african-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366306/china-stands-gain-us-visa-restrictions-targeting-african-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 03:59:52 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Middle Eastern nations to build a self-led security model, nudging them to cut reliance on Washington following further US-Iran military clashes. But, on his first visit to Egypt in a decade, he did not position Beijing as an alternative security guarantor. He made the proposal during talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi at Cairo’s Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday. Beijing and Cairo also aligned on Gaza, Red Sea security and Sudan, while China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366206/xi-jinpings-call-mideast-build-own-security-framework-message-us-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366206/xi-jinpings-call-mideast-build-own-security-framework-message-us-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:40:50 +0000 Mohamed Ibrahim Hafez,Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Mohamed Ibrahim Hafez,Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa China is beginning to match its economic presence abroad with the military reach required to operate across it. The clearest evidence came from Egypt. Chinese J-16 fighters flew there recently, supported by YU-20 tankers that refuelled them in the air. The Chinese jets are taking part in Egypt’s “Eagles of Civilisation” alongside Egyptian Rafales and MiG-29s. This is the first time China has sent the jets to Africa, providing experience in moving a combat force across continents and operating... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3365853/china-egypt-joint-drills-show-beijings-military-reach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3365853/china-egypt-joint-drills-show-beijings-military-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Egypt on Tuesday, the second stop in a potentially busy month of travel that will probably conclude with a White House meeting. “Once you drink from the Nile, you are destined to return,” the Chinese leader said on arrival at Cairo International Airport. Xi is likely to sign economic agreements with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday as part of his first trip in a decade to the most-populous Arab nation and his first Middle East stop... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366111/xi-makes-world-tour-ahead-white-house-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366111/xi-makes-world-tour-ahead-white-house-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:24:21 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese President Xi Jinping is returning to Egypt after a decade as Beijing deepens its economic, military and diplomatic ties with Cairo and seeks to work more closely with Egypt on crises across the Middle East and Africa. Xi will visit Egypt this week following his trip to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which finishes on Tuesday. China’s foreign ministry last week described relations with Egypt as being “at their best in history” and said Xi’s visit would build... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365831/xi-jinpings-cairo-trip-marks-best-ties-history-egypt-seeks-balance-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365831/xi-jinpings-cairo-trip-marks-best-ties-history-egypt-seeks-balance-west?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage A peace plan agreed between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 movement last weekend could open the rebel-held Rubaya coltan deposit and other parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo to US investors. But observers say that even a lasting settlement would leave the United States far behind China, whose companies have spent decades building mining assets, relationships and supply chains across the country. The peace road map followed five days of talks and set out steps and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365482/truce-dr-congo-offers-us-mining-foothold-while-chinese-firms-dominate-output?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365482/truce-dr-congo-offers-us-mining-foothold-while-chinese-firms-dominate-output?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The gaffe at last month’s Aids 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, where a US State Department presentation displayed a map of Africa with every country mislabelled, serves as more than a source of embarrassment. It was a potent symbol of the distance between Washington’s rhetoric and its real stance regarding the African continent. Earlier this year, Nick Checker, a senior US State Department official, spoke of “resetting” US relations with Africa, pivoting away from dependency and towards... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364970/africa-knows-who-its-true-friends-are-and-theyre-not-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364970/africa-knows-who-its-true-friends-are-and-theyre-not-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The United States may want the world to choose sides in the AI race with China, but in Africa, many businesses are pursuing a more pragmatic strategy: using Chinese models where they offer better value or flexibility, while keeping their options open. For example, when African insurtech platform Curacel expanded the range of artificial intelligence (AI) models powering its internal infrastructure, it did not look only to Silicon Valley. Instead, the Nigeria-based firm – which provides AI-powered... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364966/african-firms-adopting-chinese-ai-us-china-rivalry-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364966/african-firms-adopting-chinese-ai-us-china-rivalry-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:00:05 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage While the US and some European governments view China’s vast production of electric vehicles and green-energy tech as overcapacity, African companies see it as an opportunity to secure EV technology and develop the industry. China is the global leader of the EV industry – it makes nearly 75 per cent of the world’s electric vehicles and dominates the supply chain. Its high production has driven down the cost of EVs, batteries and components, which has improved access to technologies that were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364799/why-chinas-ev-boom-seen-unparalleled-opportunity-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364799/why-chinas-ev-boom-seen-unparalleled-opportunity-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:06 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage West Africa has embraced Chinese green tea – from government offices in Mauritania to roadside stalls in Senegal, Mali and Niger, it is at the heart of a tradition that brings people together. The ritual – known as ataya, or attaya in some countries – involves preparing and serving strong, sweet green tea in three rounds, giving family, friends and colleagues the time to talk and socialise. Chinese tea dominates several markets where ataya is widely consumed. More than 90 per cent of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364396/chinese-green-tea-bringing-people-together-west-africa-3-cups-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364396/chinese-green-tea-bringing-people-together-west-africa-3-cups-time?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Africa is emerging as fertile ground for Beijing’s drive to make the yuan a major international currency and reduce reliance on the US dollar, as an increasing number of financial institutions deepen their integration with China’s payment network. Following talks in Beijing between Central Bank of Libya Governor Naji Issa and People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng last month, the country’s banks are set to join China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), an alternative to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364171/why-chinese-yuan-could-soon-be-africas-most-important-currency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364171/why-chinese-yuan-could-soon-be-africas-most-important-currency?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 06:00:20 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Ethiopia’s new US$12.5 billion mega-airport project has thrust the nation into the heart of a geopolitical tug of war between the United States and China. Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, is developing the massive Bishoftu International Airport, located 40km (25 miles) southeast of the capital Addis Ababa to serve as a primary hub for African trade and travel. The project has triggered intense competition between would-be contractors from around the world, but Chinese state-owned... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363853/us-china-rivalry-takes-flight-over-scramble-contracts-ethiopias-bishoftu-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363853/us-china-rivalry-takes-flight-over-scramble-contracts-ethiopias-bishoftu-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 04:24:37 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage For decades, resource-rich African nations operated on a straightforward pit-to-ship model whereby foreign operators extracted raw ore, loaded it onto cargo ships and exported it abroad, leaving producer countries with little to show for it. Today, nations such as Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Ghana and Guinea are dismantling that system – by banning exports of raw materials and enforcing local processing rules. These measures force international mining firms, including Chinese companies, to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363798/how-africa-becoming-strategic-hub-chinese-industrial-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363798/how-africa-becoming-strategic-hub-chinese-industrial-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States has stepped up scrutiny of China’s overseas lending, warning that the lack of transparency surrounding Chinese loans could increase the risk of unexpected defaults and debt restructuring in emerging markets. In its 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report, released on Tuesday, the US State Department said China had failed to meet its minimum transparency requirements, citing deficiencies in both its domestic finances and the disclosure of claims against foreign borrowers. “China’s lack... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363707/us-faults-china-over-opaque-overseas-lending-warns-emerging-market-debt-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363707/us-faults-china-over-opaque-overseas-lending-warns-emerging-market-debt-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:55:55 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu Just outside the Nigerian capital Abuja, where Green Agriculture West Africa Limited (Gawal) is based, locals do not refer to the company by name, instead as the place where the Chinese supply “magic” rice seeds. Ahmed Yusuf, 42, credits the seeds with turning around his rice business for good. Before Gawal, Yusuf’s yields averaged just 2 tonnes per hectare, putting him on the verge of forsaking farming after more than a decade of toiling. “Each year I was making losses, and I couldn’t meet the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363433/how-chinas-magic-rice-seeds-are-transforming-fortunes-nigerian-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363433/how-chinas-magic-rice-seeds-are-transforming-fortunes-nigerian-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Since the mid‑2000s, China has established itself as Africa’s principal bilateral financier for large infrastructure projects, including railways, bridges, dams and ports. But as the loans involved reach maturity, Beijing has transitioned from a net provider of funds to a net collector. Drawing on data from Boston University’s Global Development Policy Centre and its own calculations, Oxford Economics Africa said in a new analysis that Chinese loan commitments dropped from a peak of US$28.8... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363301/china-shifts-africas-top-megaproject-lender-debt-collector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363301/china-shifts-africas-top-megaproject-lender-debt-collector?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:05:01 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is expanding its role in the fight against HIV/Aids in Africa by funding new projects and backing local medicine manufacturing as part of its signature health initiative, the Health Silk Road. Beijing’s larger presence comes as traditional Western aid wanes following the closure of the US Agency for International Development and sweeping cuts to the World Health Organization and the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar). Pepfar was a major bilateral American initiative... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363179/what-chinas-expanded-funding-hiv/aids-africa-means-us-cuts-health-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363179/what-chinas-expanded-funding-hiv/aids-africa-means-us-cuts-health-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu On the South Atlantic coastline, Angola stands out as rare ground on which the United States has been willing to vie with China for influence in Africa. It was the only country on the continent visited by former US president Joe Biden, albeit in the twilight of his term in December 2024. During the trip – the first by a sitting US president – Biden made the case for investment in the strategic Lobito Atlantic Railway. The administration of Biden’s successor, Donald Trump, also threw its weight... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361675/how-chinas-us900-million-port-deal-angola-shows-its-dominance-over-us-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361675/how-chinas-us900-million-port-deal-angola-shows-its-dominance-over-us-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:09:31 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Two years after Kenya’s deal with India’s Adani Group to modernise Jomo Kenyatta International Airport collapsed, the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has won a US$1.2 billion contract to do just that. The same pattern played out when France’s Vinci lost a major highway deal in Kenya and CRBC took over as developer alongside another Chinese firm. Under the original 30-year concession, the national government would bear all the risk in the deal, raising public cost... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362693/turkey-putting-pressure-china-africas-infrastructure-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362693/turkey-putting-pressure-china-africas-infrastructure-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2026 08:00:18 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu China has overtaken the United States in terms of positive perceptions among young Africans, though Washington is still seen as more influential than Beijing, according to a survey published on Wednesday. The African Youth Survey polled 4,901 respondents aged 18 to 24 and split equally between males and females, in 16 of Africa’s 54 countries, asking them which foreign powers had influence on their country. The report said 81 per cent agreed that the US was influential, while 79 per cent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362249/practical-young-africans-leaning-towards-china-over-us-and-away-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362249/practical-young-africans-leaning-towards-china-over-us-and-away-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:01:08 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu International students once saw US colleges as a gateway to a world-class education and career head start but shifting United States immigration policies, tightening visa conditions and high-profile ICE raids are causing them to reconsider. Dulue Mbachu looks at how African students are altering their education plans during the second Trump administration. The first instalment in our series is here. For 23-year-old Kunle Adeyemi, it took some time to overcome the disappointment of being denied a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362222/african-students-turn-china-amid-tighter-us-visa-rules-and-higher-university-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362222/african-students-turn-china-amid-tighter-us-visa-rules-and-higher-university-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:00:06 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), met Jiang Feng, head of China’s mission to the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in mid-July, the message was practical. They signed a handover certificate that brought Beijing’s direct emergency support for the Ebola response to US$4.5 million. A five-member Chinese medical team was already working in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital of Kinshasa. Kaseya described the contribution as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361447/rapid-ebola-aid-china-shows-itself-reliable-partner-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361447/rapid-ebola-aid-china-shows-itself-reliable-partner-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Beijing’s soft power drive to win African hearts through cinema was on display recently in Bujumbura, where Chinese dragon and lion dances merged with sacred Burundian drums to open Chinese Film Week. The Chinese embassy in Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi, said the July 15 event offered “a beautiful example of cultural exchanges between the two countries” and that both sides were determined to “make cinema a vehicle for Sino-Burundian friendship”. Zhu Kewei, China’s ambassador to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361763/how-china-using-film-diplomacy-project-better-image-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361763/how-china-using-film-diplomacy-project-better-image-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Meite Siaka wears many hats. By day, he is a senior tax official, a lecturer at the National School of Administration and deputy mayor of Kani in northern Ivory Coast. But outside government, he serves as the founding president of the Ivorian Federation of Chinese Martial Arts (FIAMC), a group he established in 2008. He also works as a master and instructor, running several martial arts clubs. Now he is a central figure in standardising the practice of kung fu, a Chinese martial art, and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361059/bruce-lee-craze-regional-hub-how-chinas-kung-fu-captured-ivory-coast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361059/bruce-lee-craze-regional-hub-how-chinas-kung-fu-captured-ivory-coast?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jul 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage In Abidjan, the commercial capital and economic engine of Ivory Coast, the extent of Chinese infrastructure development is a permanent feature of the transport and trade networks. This includes the Alassane Ouattara Bridge, commonly known as the Cocody Bridge, which links the affluent eastern district of Cocody to the business centre of Plateau. The expansion of the Port of Abidjan’s second container terminal and the construction of the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium also highlight the scale... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360899/chinas-megaprojects-transformed-ivory-coast-now-its-own-role-changing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360899/chinas-megaprojects-transformed-ivory-coast-now-its-own-role-changing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:00:07 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Africa’s exports to China have surged since Beijing expanded its zero-tariff policy across the continent in May, as customs data showed signs of emerging trade links in a range of new sectors alongside traditional categories such as critical minerals. China’s imports from Africa soared by 21.1 per cent and 40.2 per cent year on year in May and June, respectively – outpacing the overall growth in Chinese imports over the same period, customs data showed. The increase was partly driven by China’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3360758/chinas-imports-africa-surge-after-beijing-expands-zero-tariff-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3360758/chinas-imports-africa-surge-after-beijing-expands-zero-tariff-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Motorcycle taxis – often called boda-bodas in East Africa and okadas in Nigeria and parts of West Africa – serve as the primary mode of transport for millions in Africa. Now, Chinese investors are pouring funds into the continent’s multibillion-dollar two-wheeler market, driving an energy shift from petrol to electric power. The investors supply essential components and batteries for local assembly, while supporting infrastructure such as battery-swapping networks to ease the transition. Last... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360221/how-chinese-investors-are-supercharging-africas-multibillion-dollar-e-bike-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360221/how-chinese-investors-are-supercharging-africas-multibillion-dollar-e-bike-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:07 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu US-imposed sanctions targeting other countries and a growing list of Chinese laws aimed at countering the measures are creating a compliance minefield for African businesses dealing with the world’s top two economies. At risk is a broad range of industries including mining, banking, telecommunications, technology, energy, infrastructure and others in which African businesses are simultaneously exposed to US and Chinese counterparties, according to analysts. Compliance consultants covering the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360121/how-overlapping-us-and-china-sanctions-are-complicating-business-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360121/how-overlapping-us-and-china-sanctions-are-complicating-business-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:00:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese firms not only operate, finance or hold stakes in about one third of all ports in Africa, but Beijing now also controls the software, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) tools that run the infrastructure. And that reach extends well beyond the docks, with Beijing financing and operating the road, rail and warehousing networks connected to these ports and other maritime projects across the continent, closely intertwining African trade with China’s own trading systems. These are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359378/chinas-influence-african-ports-extends-software-automation-and-ai-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359378/chinas-influence-african-ports-extends-software-automation-and-ai-study?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan On June 4, at a packing facility in Limuru near Nairobi, Kenya, avocados were being prepared for the Chinese market. The scene may seem mundane, but the politics behind it is significant. China has removed tariffs on imports from 53 African countries. African exporters are beginning to think about Beijing less as a distant buyer than as a market that could reshape their margins. When the UN projected 4 per cent gross domestic product growth for Africa for 2026, the figure landed quietly. No... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3358072/africa-seeking-growth-china-proving-reliable-partner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3358072/africa-seeking-growth-china-proving-reliable-partner?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jun 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage As China’s relationship with African countries deepens, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In our series Jevans Nyabiage looks at how Beijing’s blanket import clearance for three African food products will affect ties between them, and the potential effects for other governments around the world. Beijing is rewriting its trade playbook by bypassing years of protracted bilateral negotiations to grant continent-wide market access for African coffee, chillies and cashews. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358542/coffee-chillies-and-cashews-new-recipe-spice-china-africa-trade-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358542/coffee-chillies-and-cashews-new-recipe-spice-china-africa-trade-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage As China’s relationship with African countries deepens, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In this series Jevans Nyabiage looks at an initiative to help control weapons and reduce conflict in a region where Beijing has vast economic interests. China is marketing its strict policing and arms control expertise as a blueprint to stabilise Africa’s conflict-torn Great Lakes region, leveraging its reputation as one of the world’s safest countries. Earlier this month, China and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358336/can-chinas-strict-policing-model-silence-guns-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358336/can-chinas-strict-policing-model-silence-guns-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu As China’s relationship with African countries has deepened, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In the latest of a series of articles, Dulue Mbachu investigates the extent of Chinese investments in the continent and Beijing’s growing wariness about their security. Chinese regulators balked at Zijin Mining’s planned US$4 billion acquisition of Canadian company Allied Gold, placing it on hold to scrutinise the potential risks. As a result, the agreement for the deal, already... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357901/chinas-risk-tolerance-reaching-its-limit-pause-african-mine-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357901/chinas-risk-tolerance-reaching-its-limit-pause-african-mine-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:07 +0000 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/series/3358023/china-and-africas-evolving-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/series/3358023/china-and-africas-evolving-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:52:12 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage For decades, moving Benin’s cotton harvest from the north of the country to its southern ports was a slow, difficult journey along unpaved roads. Benin is Africa’s largest cotton producer, but it lacked the infrastructure needed to connect its northern cotton-growing belt to the coast and processing plants in the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) near Cotonou, the country’s largest city and economic capital. The GDIZ – part of the government’s efforts to end raw cotton exports – now processes a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357810/how-benin-road-reshaping-its-cotton-industry-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357810/how-benin-road-reshaping-its-cotton-industry-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2026 06:00:05 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Shipping services in Guinea are being upended as the West African country ramps up iron ore exports for China’s “green steel” production lines to take advantage of much higher prices. Vessels that usually ship bauxite from Guinea have been diverted to iron ore to maximise exports before heavy seasonal rains grind production to a halt, according to international shipbroking and maritime research firm Ifchor Galbraiths. Analysts say that shoring up supplies from Guinea helps China with its broader... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357773/guinea-pushes-simandou-iron-ore-exports-feed-chinas-green-steel-mills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357773/guinea-pushes-simandou-iron-ore-exports-feed-chinas-green-steel-mills?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage As China’s relationship with African countries has deepened, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In the first of a series of articles, Jevans Nyabiage explores how a drive to expand Chinese language education in Africa is being stymied by a shortage of teachers. For years, Chinese language training in Africa has been provided mainly through Beijing-backed Confucius Institutes at universities and independent schools run by Chinese nationals. Now, several African nations have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357693/more-and-more-africans-want-learn-chinese-who-will-teach-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357693/more-and-more-africans-want-learn-chinese-who-will-teach-them?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:56:14 +0000