The China-Global South Podcast

Examining the souring relationship between China and India, including conflicting narratives, new tariffs, crackdown on Chinese tech companies, expulsion of journalists, and militarization of the border. China perceives India as aligning with the West. Tensions arise from border infrastructure and territorial claims. India's loyalty to its ties with Russia and Western powers making grand announcements but taking little action are also discussed.

Chinese investment in Cambodia, particularly in the gambling sector, has led to an increase in criminal activities. The challenges of regulating Chinese companies in Cambodia and concerns about the impacts of the gambling network are discussed. The importance of competent negotiators, effective governance, and China literacy in obtaining favorable outcomes in Belt and Road Initiative projects is highlighted. The complexities of Chinese investment and challenges of weak governance are explored, as well as the perceptions and challenges of the Belt and Road Initiative. The lack of specifics and financing surrounding climate solutions is also discussed.

The podcast discusses the failure of G20 countries to agree on renewable energy capacity, China's contradictory actions on climate change, and challenges in global climate diplomacy. It also explores the Republican Party's stance on climate change, coal reduction progress, and upcoming opportunities and events.

China's Belt and Road Initiative is not dead, but has shifted towards smaller initiatives related to technology, renewable energy, and connectivity. Chinese creditors are now focusing on financing green energy projects. The podcast discusses the challenges faced by the BRI, discrepancies in carbon usage, China's influence on infrastructure development in Africa, and China's expansion in global supply chains and investment in Africa.

China's shift in focus from expanding global presence to prioritizing Asia; the sensitivity of territorial claims in the South China Sea; China's strategies and interests in Central Asia and Afghanistan; the Uyghur situation in Xinjiang and its geopolitical significance; China's growing influence in Central Asia and the dynamics with Russia; China's integration of security and the challenges faced by broken societies.

Matt Mingey, a senior analyst at Rhodium Group, discusses whether China is setting the agenda for debt restructurings in the Global South. Topics include China's effectiveness in getting parties to agree to its demands, debt restructuring in Zambia and Sri Lanka, the importance of China Development Bank and Industrial Commercial Bank of China, reclassification of Chinese debt in Zambia, negotiating debt restructuring without China, and political motivations and misconceptions.

This podcast discusses China's military engagement in Africa, including recent visits by Chinese warships and the involvement of Russian mercenaries. The podcast explores the dual nature of Chinese port building, China's military ties and basing strategy in Africa, and the opportunities and challenges in China-Africa educational relations. It also compares the training and education provided by the US/Europe and China for African defense officials.

The South China Sea is one of the world's most strategically vital maritime zones where more than $5 trillion of trade passes through each year -- a whopping 60% of the globe's total maritime commerce. It's also the epicenter of an increasingly contentious geopolitical dispute among more than half a dozen countries over territorial boundaries and who ultimately controls this enormous body of water. Chinese sovereignty claims over the whole of the South China Sea have provoked furious responses from its regional neighbors and sparked a dangerous duel with the U.S. and other major navies over continued freedom of navigation through the area. Ray Powell, a former U.S. Air Force colonel, tracks the maneuvers of ships and other vessels operating in the South China Sea on a daily basis as the team lead for Stanford University's Project Myoushu. Ray joins Eric & Cobus from Palo Alto to break down the different territorial claims and why this burgeoning maritime conflict is so incredibly important. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander |@gordianknotray Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine عربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfr JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaafricaproject

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wrapped up a visit to Beijing last week where he heard lofty promises from Chinese officials about their desire to mediate a settlement with Israel. While the visit made for some good headlines, the chances of China jump-starting the stalled peace process are close to zero. Tuvia Gering, a leading China watcher in Israel and a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Jerusalem, and Jony Essa, CGSP's Arabic Editor, join Eric and Cobus to discuss the key takeaways from the Abbas visit and explain why China is not well-positioned to broker a settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. SHOW NOTES: Sign up for Tuvia Gering's Discourse Power newsletter: https://discoursepower.substack.com JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander |@geringtuvia Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine عربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfr JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaafricaproject

The days of China easily handing out billions of dollars to build infrastructure in developing countries around the world are now over. The Chinese can't afford it anymore and many of the borrowing countries just don't have the capacity to take on more debt. But that doesn't mean the Chinese aren't lending anymore. They are. It's just that the projects they finance today are either small -- below $50 million -- or "beautiful" -- support local communities and align with certain Chinese political objectives. Edwin Li, a Beijing-based project finance attorney for the international law firm Dentons, detailed these new lending priorities in a recent article and joins Eric & Cobus to explain why it's critical that borrowing countries clearly understand what China does and doesn't fund. SHOW NOTES: China ODI Project Finance and Law: How to Define “Xiao Er Mei” (Small or Beautiful) in the Belt and Road Initiative by Edwin Li: https://bit.ly/3MTxde2 Boston University Global Development Policy Center: “Small is Beautiful”: A New Era in China’s Overseas Development Finance? by Rebecca Ray: https://bit.ly/3Hnm8iL JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander |@edwinzhiguoli Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine عربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfr JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaafricaproject