The China in Africa Podcast

Militaries across Africa are increasingly turning to China to source advanced weapons systems that were long unavailable from Western suppliers. Sophisticated Chinese-made drones, missile systems, and cyber-warfare technologies, among others, are now commonplace on African battlefields. Ekene Lionel, director of the defense news website Military.Africa joins Eric, Cobus, and Geraud to explain why Chinese weapons have become so popular with African militaries. Plus, the guys also discuss Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s four-nation tour that wrapped up this week. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque| @Eric Olander | @christiangeraud | @militaryafrica Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: 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/chinaglobalsouth

Together, the United States and China import $40 billion worth of timber products each year, quite a bit of which is harvested illegally from West Africa's rapidly shrinking forests. But cracking down on this illicit trade is extremely difficult given that many of the region's governments are actively complicit. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), an NGO based in the U.S. and UK, recently traced how Chinese merchants trafficked rosewood timber from the forests Equatorial Guinea back to China and eventually all the way to store shelves at Home Depot in the United States. Last year, EIA published their findings in a damning investigative report. Ma Haibing, an Asia policy specialist at EIA, was part of the team that worked on that report. He joins Eric & Cobus from Washington, D.C. to discuss the key findings and what he recommends can be done to crack down on this destructive trade. SHOW NOTES: EIA: The Dictator’s Door -- From Crimes in Equatorial Guinea's Forests to Home Depot's Customers: https://bit.ly/3O4McDg The Hill: To halt global deforestation, start with the Home Depot by Raphael Edou: https://bit.ly/3HrCmYc JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque| @eric_olander | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: 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/chinaglobalsouth

China's engagement in Africa is at a critical inflection point where many of the various stakeholders in this important relationship are re-evaluating what they want from the other. In this special episode, we speak with six prominent experts from Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States who provide their forecasts for how this vital geopolitical relationship is going to evolve in 2024: Tarela Moses, Data Analyst and Database Manager at the Global China Initiative at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center: @tarelamoses Amit Jain, Director NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies at Nanyang Business School in Singapore Lukas Fiala, Head of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS: @lukasdkfiala Emmanuel Matambo, Research Director at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Africa-China Studies: @ekmatambo Tim Zajontz, Lecturer in international relations at the University of Freiburg in Germany and a research fellow at the Center for International and Comparative Politics at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town: @tzajontz Tobi Oshodi, political science instructor at Lagos State University in Nigeria: @tobioshodi JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque| @eric_olander | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: 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/chinaglobalsouth

2023 was a transformative year for China-Africa ties, with declining investment and trade. The podcast discusses the challenges of managing conflict, China's involvement in African mining, impact of Gaza on China's influence, China's expanding presence in critical minorities, and a gratitude message from the hosts.

Ethiopia is the latest African country that is now teetering on the verge of default after the government announced this week that it would not be able to make a $33 million bond payment. Eric speaks with Mark Bohlund, a senior research credit analyst at REDD Intelligence, for his take on the situation and the larger debt landscape across the continent. Plus, Cobus and Geraud break down China's position at the COP28 that wrapped up this week and what impact it will have on Beijing's engagement in the African energy sector. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque| @eric_olander | @christiangeraud | @markbohlund 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/chinaglobalsouth See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Chinese national dubbed 'Galamsey Queen' gets jailed in Ghana for illegal mining, sparking criticism towards wealthy landowners and government. Ghanaian scholar explains disappointment in court's verdict and calls for stricter punishment. The podcast also explores the role of chiefs and landlords in enabling illegal mining, fund management challenges in Africa, diplomatic efforts to address illegal activities, and comparisons between corruption in Africa and China's climate actions.

Zambia's debt restructuring deal has collapsed as rival creditors feud over payment priority. The negotiation process between Zambia and its creditors is mired in disagreement. The slow progress of the G20 common framework for debt relief is analyzed. China's approach to the Zambian debt crisis is explored, examining internal struggles and external influences. African countries face challenges in pushing back against China, highlighting their lack of China competency.

Zambia suffered a major setback this week in its nearly three-year odyssey to restructure $32 billion of debt when the country's bilateral creditors led by China and France pushed back against bondholders. Plus, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a rare diss against China in a commencement speech for new diplomats when he said he tried to avoid Africa being "taken hostage" by China. Eric, Cobus, and Geraud discuss those issues and are also joined by Bongiwe Tutu, project coordinator at the Africa-China Reporting Project at Wits University, to discuss a series of fascinating journalism conferences that took place this week in Johannesburg. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud | @witschinaafrica 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/chinaglobalsouth See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

China's response to the Israel-Hamas war, their neutral stance and alignment with the Arab League and the global south. China's priorities in the Middle East, including their relationship with Saudi Arabia. The complexities of Israeli-Chinese relations. China's unchanged relationship with Iran despite the conflict. Concerns in the United States over China's oil purchases from Iran. China's strategic approach in the Middle East and potential impact on the region.

U.S. lawmakers met this week to discuss how to combat the use of child labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's cobalt mining sector which they claim is largely controlled by Chinese mining companies. The issue is part of a larger debate over what the U.S. needs to do to better compete with the Chinese around the world to secure the critical resources that will power next-generation mobility and technology. The timing of this week's hearings on Capitol Hill coincides with the release of a new report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) about how African countries can become more engaged in the U.S. clean energy supply chain. The report's authors, Zainab Usman, director of the Africa program at CEIP, and Alex Csnadi, a research assistant in the Carnegie Africa program, join Eric & Geraud from Washington to discuss how they think the U.S. can close the gap with China for access to Africa's critical resources. SHOW NOTES: Read the Carnegie report: How Can African Countries Participate in U.S. Clean Energy Supply Chains?: https://bit.ly/46iXaLN JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @mszeeusman 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/chinaglobalsouth See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.