The China-Global South Project

Australian Police Charge Chinese National With ‘Foreign Interference’ Australian police said Monday they had charged a Chinese national with

Australian police said Monday they had charged a Chinese national with "reckless foreign interference", accusing the woman of spying on a local Buddhist group for Beijing.

Philippine, Indian Navies Begin First Joint South China Sea Patrols Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila's military said Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos dep...

Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila's military said Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos departed for a state visit to New Delhi.

The Congolese human rights NGO Justicia Asbl released a video that was purportedly recorded on July 23rd showing Congolese FARDC soldiers beating local miners in the southeastern city of Kolwezi, allegedly at the behest of Chinese nationals seen watching in the background.

China and Russia Start Joint Drills in Sea of Japan China and Russia began joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan on Sunday as they seek to reinforce their partnership and counterbalance what they see as a US-led global order. Alongside economic and po...

China and Russia began joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan on Sunday as they seek to reinforce their partnership and counterbalance what they see as a US-led global order.

India and the Philippines to Launch Joint Military Exercises Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos reportedly will visit India next week, his first visit since taking office. The trip from 4 to 8 August will coincide with joint military exercises that will take...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos reportedly will visit India next week, his first visit since taking office.

“1001 Days of Pouring Concrete in Africa”: A Chinese Engineer’s Memoir Sparks Debate Online A recently published memoir titled 《在非洲打灰的1001天：一个现代化的故事》 (“1001 Days of Pouring Concrete in Africa: A Modernization Story”) has ignited widespread discussion on Chinese social media.  The author, Cao...

After earning a PhD from Tsinghua, Cao Fengze chose a dusty Tanzanian worksite over a cushy job in China. His memoir of 1001 Days of Pouring Concrete in Africa is sparking fierce debate on modernity, identity, and what "development" really means.

Critical Minerals Weekly Digest This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. This week’s developments underscore a clear shift in the cri...

A new minerals order is emerging as the U.S., India, and China escalate strategic moves, from Myanmar to Dubai to Wyoming, transforming critical minerals into tools of statecraft, supply security, and geopolitical leverage.

Plugging into African Agency After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and...

After years of decline, Belt and Road engagement in Africa is surging, up 395%, with Nigerian projects alone driving a more than twelvefold increase.

Amid Fuel Shortages, Cuba Looks to China for Energy Solutions Cuba is in the middle of a profound energy crisis — and China sees an opening. As Havana struggles with crumbling infrastructure, dwindling oil imports, and a decades-long economic downturn, Beijing i...

China is leveraging Cuba’s energy crisis to expand its influence in the Caribbean, using solar power investments to displace Russia and Venezuela as Havana’s key ally amid rising U.S.-China tensions.

What Would a Grand Bargain Between China and the U.S. Mean for the Rest of Us? The prevailing view among Chinese intellectuals is that U.S.-China strategic rivalry is structural and enduring. Yan Yilong, for instance, describes the competition as “not merely a disagreement betwe...

A U.S.–China grand bargain could ease tensions but risk sidelining Europe and reducing Global South leverage, transforming today’s contested multipolarity into a more rigid, U.S.- and China-led global order.

Eswatini Builds Dam With Chinese Firm Despite Taiwan Ties In a notable show of pragmatism, Eswatini, the only African country that maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, is working with Sinohydro, one of China’s largest state-owned construction firms....

Eswatini partners with China’s Sinohydro on a major dam project, despite its ties to Taiwan, sparking diplomatic friction and local labor disputes.

Firms in Vietnam Walk Tightrope as U.S. Cracks Down on China-Linked Trade By Lam Nguyen with Sally Jensen in Bangkok As Donald Trump's eye-watering tariffs on Chinese products passing through Vietnam are set to kick in Friday, companies in the Southeast Asian country are ca...

As Donald Trump’s eye-watering tariffs on Chinese products passing through Vietnam are set to kick in Friday, companies in the Southeast Asian country are cautiously waiting to see what falls into that category.

China Corners the Market on a Little-Known but Crucial Tech Mineral A Chinese mining and materials giant, Sinomine Resource Group, is ramping up its dominance in the critical minerals sector, with a $400 million investment in Zimbabwe for the construction of the world...

A Chinese mining and materials giant, Sinomine Resource Group, is ramping up its dominance in the critical minerals sector, with a $400 million investment in Zimbabwe for the construction of the world’s second cesium smelting plant.

India and the Philippines to Launch Joint Military Exercises Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos reportedly will visit India next week, his first visit since taking office. The trip from 4 to 8 August will coincide with joint military exercises that will take...

Philippines India South China Sea tensions grow as President Marcos visits India for military exercises near Scarborough Shoal.

Chinese BRI Investments and Construction Contracts Smash New Records in the First Half of 2025 The value of Chinese investment and construction contracts in Belt and Road Initiative countries surged in the first six months of 2025 to a record $124 billion, more than what was spent for the whole...

The value of Chinese investment and construction contracts in Belt and Road Initiative countries surged in the first six months of 2025 to a record $124 billion, more than what was spent for the whole of last year.

Africa EVs Weekly: Chinese Phone Giant Heats Up E-bikes Competition in Kenya as Ethiopia Bans ICE Vehicle Parts Imports This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. Competition between electric mobility solutions providers is intens...

Kenya’s two-wheeler e-mobility space is heating up! TankVolt enters the scene and it’s backed by the giant behind Tecno & Infinix.

Trump’s New Tariff to Impact Indian Economy, Could Reshape Bilateral Ties U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to slap harsh tariffs on Indian exports and a

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to slap harsh tariffs on Indian exports and a “penalty” on purchases of Russian weapons and energy will cost thousands of jobs and could fundamentally change the nature of bilateral ties, experts said Wednesday.

China Says to Hold Military Drills With Russia in August China said Wednesday it would conduct joint military drills with Russia in August, including sea and air exercises near Vladivostok and joint naval patrols in the Pacific. Alongside economic and polit...

China said Wednesday it would conduct joint military drills with Russia in August, including sea and air exercises near Vladivostok and joint naval patrols in the Pacific.

Lithium Prices Are Crashing, But Some Producers Are Doubling Down. Why? There is a puzzling shift unfolding in the global lithium market. Prices have collapsed by over 70% from their 2022 highs to around $12,000 per tonne, and yet, against all market logic, some Chinese l...

There is a puzzling shift unfolding in the global lithium market. Prices have collapsed by over 70% from their 2022 highs to around $12,000 per tonne, and yet, against all market logic, some Chinese lithium giants are not retreating.

🌍 “At the micro level, you realize there's more in common than different.”

Solange Guo Chatelard on why understanding everyday lives is essential to making sense of China-Africa ties, beyond slogans, beyond geopolitics.

Watch - tinyurl.com/5n7b73zy

China’s Critical Minerals Lead Widens as Rivals Struggle to Keep Pace Despite growing talk of securing alternative supply chains, China has entrenched itself as the world’s undisputed leader in critical minerals, widening a lead that few anticipated would stretch so far...

Despite growing talk of securing alternative supply chains, China has entrenched itself as the world’s undisputed leader in critical minerals, widening a lead that few anticipated would stretch so far, so fast.

Indonesia’s Over-Reliance on China is a Warning for Other Global South Countries Indonesia thought it was building a future. Instead, it built someone else’s supply chain. Last month, China imposed a 20% anti-dumping tariff on stainless steel from Indonesia, accusing Jakarta of un...

Indonesia's nickel strategy failure reveals weak governance and the consequences of prioritizing investors over national control.

China’s Belt and Road Shatters Expectations With Record Activity.

In the first half of 2025 alone, BRI deals hit a record $123 billion. Christoph Nedopil features on our latest episode to break down what’s driving the surge and what it means for the Global South.

Watch - tinyurl.com/3szwv6fh

U.S. Tariffs Bring Brazil and China Closer Together As Brazil stares down the barrel of 50% tariffs on its exports to the United States, China signaled a willingness to expand ties. On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun was asked by a Bra...

As U.S.-Brazil trade tensions escalate, China seizes the moment to deepen economic and political ties with Brazil.

China–Middle East Analysis and the Future of China–middle East Studies.

Vietnam’s Growth Surges. But Is It Still a Bargain for Global Manufacturing? Chinese companies are pouring into Vietnam, but rising costs and fragile foundations raise questions about how long the boom can last. Vietnam’s GDP grew 7.52% in the first half of 2025, recording its...

Chinese companies are pouring into Vietnam, but rising costs and fragile foundations raise questions about how long the boom can last.

China’s Belt and Road Shatters Expectations With Record Activity.

In the first half of 2025 alone, BRI deals hit a record $123 billion. Christoph Nedopil features on our latest episode to break down what’s driving the surge and what it means for the Global South.

Watch - tinyurl.com/3szwv6fh

BYD Tops Southeast Asia EV Sales, Tesla Drops in Hong Kong BYD overtakes Tesla in Hong Kong and dominates Indonesia’s EV market in the first half of 2025. With tariffs rising in the West, China’s electric vehicle giants are rapidly expanding across Southeast ...

BYD overtakes Tesla in Hong Kong and dominates Indonesia’s EV market in the first half of 2025.

China–Middle East Analysis and the Future of China–middle East Studies.

China Plans Global AI Coordination Body China proposed an organization to promote global cooperation on artificial intelligence that would also foreground the Global South. Chinese Premier Li Qiang told attendees at the World Artificial Int...

At the Shanghai AI summit, China proposed a global AI organization to empower the Global South, promote open-source access, and offer an alternative to U.S.-led AI strategies and energy policies.