https://www.scmp.com/rss/519193/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alex Lo Alex Lo Last month in Florida, many leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean showed up for the so-called Shield of the Americas summit. Prefacing his speech, the self-styled US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared, “I only speak American.” Most people there spoke Spanish and/or English. Both the northern and the southern parts of the hemisphere are called American, but there is no such language as Hegseth’s, at least linguistically. However, it was clear what he meant. The United States just... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:05:43 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris The mighty Zambezi River has its source in northern Zambia, and flows north, west, south, then east, tracing borders for several countries including Zimbabwe. As the river enters Zimbabwe, the water molecules begin to flow faster, unknowingly energised – developing first into a rush, then eventually a torrent as they plunge down the Victoria Falls. This is an excellent analogy of the extremes of stock market price movements. In a stock market crash, prices move slowly, then very fast. My... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham To European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the ribbon of rail snaking from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia across Angola to the Atlantic port of Lobito is “more than just infrastructure”. The Lobito Corridor rail upgrade is a flagship project of the EU’s €300 billion (US$346 billion) infrastructure drive, Global Gateway, launched to great fanfare in 2021 as a rival to Beijing’s own Belt and Road Initiative. It is also pivotal to the EU’s efforts to wean itself off... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348330/eus-flagship-africa-project-under-fire-over-ties-chinese-state-owned-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348330/eus-flagship-africa-project-under-fire-over-ties-chinese-state-owned-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong’s public airmail services to 24 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia have been affected after a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran forced flight cancellations to two Gulf states and disrupted transit journeys. A Hongkong Post spokesman said on Sunday evening that the department’s airmail services to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were suspended with immediate effect until further notice. “Airmail services transiting through these locations will also be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3345053/hongkong-posts-airmail-services-24-countries-affected-strikes-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3345053/hongkong-posts-airmail-services-24-countries-affected-strikes-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:45:39 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan African nations have long been asking: who really opens their market, on what terms and how fast? Earlier this month, China provided a clear answer when it stated that starting on May 1, China will apply zero tariffs on imports from 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations. For years, Western governments have promised to rethink their partnerships with their African counterparts, tying positive language about equality and sustainability to complex trade frameworks. China... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344301/chinas-zero-tariff-offer-africa-game-changer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344301/chinas-zero-tariff-offer-africa-game-changer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Chenjie Song Chenjie Song If 2026 were a chess match, critical minerals would be the opening gambit, and both China and the United States are going all out. On January 28, China’s Zijin Mining announced a US$4 billion takeover of Allied Gold’s three African mines. On February 3, Swiss mining giant Glencore entered talks to sell a 40 per cent stake in its Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) copper and cobalt operations to the US-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium. Between the two announcements, US Secretary of State... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343940/pax-sinica-vs-pax-silica-how-china-us-mineral-war-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343940/pax-sinica-vs-pax-silica-how-china-us-mineral-war-taking-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Beijing’s push to internationalise the yuan is gaining a new vehicle in Africa as another major multilateral lender is set to diversify towards the Chinese currency to slash borrowing costs and reduce the risks of dollar volatility. Multilateral lender Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has confirmed that a debut panda bond issuance is “on the table for this year”, as it looks to deepen its ties with Chinese capital markets following last year’s successful triple-A Chinese rating. Banji Fehintola,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343347/africas-yuan-pivot-why-more-top-lenders-are-eyeing-chinas-bond-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343347/africas-yuan-pivot-why-more-top-lenders-are-eyeing-chinas-bond-market?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage As of January, Zambia has begun collecting taxes and royalties from Chinese mining firms in yuan, and will cycle the currency directly back to Beijing to fund imports and service loans. Experts said the shift reflected the southern African country’s urgent need to ease a US dollar shortage and manage debt, rather than geopolitical alignment, but also a quiet advance for China’s long-term strategy to internationalise its currency. It had also created a tangible blueprint for other resource-rich,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341799/chinas-plan-internationalise-yuan-quietly-takes-step-forward-zambia-gets-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341799/chinas-plan-internationalise-yuan-quietly-takes-step-forward-zambia-gets-board?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese lending to Africa dropped by nearly half to US$2.1 billion in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to a new report. The decline formed part of a decade-long trend. Lending had been on an upward trajectory since 2006 and peaked between 2012 and 2018 – a period that saw the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative – when it passed the US$10 billion mark each year. At its height in 2016, Beijing lent US$28.8 billion. But since 2020, the annual total has not crossed the US$5 billion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341213/chinese-lending-africa-nearly-halves-year-priorities-shift-smaller-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341213/chinese-lending-africa-nearly-halves-year-priorities-shift-smaller-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:00:17 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China’s big money is returning to African infrastructure as its state-owned firms evolve from mere builders into long-term financiers and operators. This is so they have enough “skin in the game”, according to one analyst, as Beijing seeks lasting influence over key transport routes and critical mineral supply chains in Africa. Across the continent, these companies are increasingly financing, building and operating key infrastructure under public-private partnerships (PPP). This financing model... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335506/skin-game-china-pivots-operating-african-railways-ports-funding-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335506/skin-game-china-pivots-operating-african-railways-ports-funding-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 04:00:14 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May Ground has quite literally been broken on a Chinese-funded project to modernise the Tanzania-Zambia railway after years of negotiations, amid intensifying “corridor wars” as major powers compete to shape transport and trade networks across not just Africa but also Eurasia and beyond. The US$1.4 billion upgrade will restore the 1,860km railway, known as Tazara, a vital corridor linking Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Indian Ocean via Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port, connecting southern and eastern... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335368/tazara-rail-deal-could-redefine-china-africa-ties-amid-corridor-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335368/tazara-rail-deal-could-redefine-china-africa-ties-amid-corridor-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 08:30:10 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim During his Southeast Asia trip in October, US President Donald Trump sealed deals with Malaysia and Thailand on the same day – both aimed at securing and diversifying America’s supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to step up cooperation on building and expanding critical minerals supply chains, according to a White House statement. They also agreed to strengthen the security of critical minerals and rare earths supplies in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335297/why-china-may-be-better-placed-us-tussle-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335297/why-china-may-be-better-placed-us-tussle-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:00:24 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese Premier Li Qiang will arrive in the Zambian capital Lusaka on Wednesday, with a US$1.4 billion railway modernisation deal high on his agenda. But Li could also face political fallout from a toxic spill at a copper mine in the country’s north. Two Chinese mining firms have been sued over the incident that has been described as an “ecological catastrophe” by farmers. It will be the first visit to Zambia by a top Chinese leader since 2007, and Li’s first trip to sub-Saharan Africa. He will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333373/railway-deal-and-toxic-spill-likely-top-agenda-chinese-premier-visits-zambia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333373/railway-deal-and-toxic-spill-likely-top-agenda-chinese-premier-visits-zambia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 07:00:09 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China has positioned itself as a responsible major collaborative force in AI development and governance, contrasting with a recently released survey finding that most Americans view US leadership in the field as crucial. Beijing arrived at its assessment this week as China hosted a workshop on AI capacity building, the third of its kind in two years. The week-long event in Shanghai attracted participants from more than 20 countries. Details of the discussions were not disclosed. “Artificial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329936/china-says-its-responsible-force-ai-most-americans-see-us-leadership-crucial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329936/china-says-its-responsible-force-ai-most-americans-see-us-leadership-crucial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:10:53 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 1 dead in Qinghai, hundreds evacuated as China’s rescue in Everest area continues One person has been reported dead in the wake of the sudden blizzard that engulfed Tibet and Qinghai over the weekend, as rescuers continue to evacuate hundreds of hikers from the eastern slopes of Mount Everest, according to official media. 2. As China’s population falls,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328032/chinas-industrial-robot-army-hundreds-evacuated-everest-area-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328032/chinas-industrial-robot-army-hundreds-evacuated-everest-area-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:15:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage An US$80 billion lawsuit filed by Zambian farmers against two Chinese mining companies over a major toxic acid spill has produced a major diplomatic headache for the southern African country as it tries to balance its long-standing relationship with Beijing against the needs of local communities. For decades, the two countries have maintained strong political and economic ties, and China has funded multibillion-dollar Zambian infrastructure projects ranging from airports and railways to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327977/lawsuit-targeting-chinese-mining-companies-poses-dilemma-zambian-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327977/lawsuit-targeting-chinese-mining-companies-poses-dilemma-zambian-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 07:00:10 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The Chinese state-owned construction giant that built the Mao Zedong-era Tanzania-Zambia railway is returning to the project with a US$1.4 billion commitment to overhaul and run the line as it increasingly becomes geoeconomically important for China. In a deal struck on Monday, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) agreed to an initial US$1.1 billion investment plus a further US$238 million to be reinvested into the severely dilapidated Tazara Railway, as the line is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327348/us14-billion-tazara-rail-deal-puts-china-fast-track-africas-copperbelt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327348/us14-billion-tazara-rail-deal-puts-china-fast-track-africas-copperbelt?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 04:00:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations’ heritage body on Monday announced the launch of a virtual museum showcasing hundreds of looted artefacts in a bid to draw attention to the trafficking of cultural property. A Zambian ritual mask, a pendant from the ancient Syrian site of Palmyra and a painting by Swedish artist Anders Zorn are among nearly 250 stolen objects displayed on Unesco’s new interactive platform. But that is only a fraction of the roughly 57,000 items Interpol estimates are in circulation, part of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327296/un-heritage-body-opens-virtual-museum-spotlight-artefact-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327296/un-heritage-body-opens-virtual-museum-spotlight-artefact-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:40:29 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The United States is stepping up efforts to loosen China’s grip on critical mineral supply chains by investing in a new copper and cobalt project in Zambia. The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will provide a US$1.4 million grant to Metalex Africa, a subsidiary of US-based Metalex Commodities, to fund a feasibility study, in a deal signed on Thursday. The study aims to expand a Zambian copper and cobalt facility, securing a direct source of the metals for American industries. Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326103/us-invests-zambia-project-bid-loosen-chinas-grip-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326103/us-invests-zambia-project-bid-loosen-chinas-grip-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:00:24 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage A geopolitical contest is unfolding in central-southern Africa, where major global powers are vying for control of key logistical routes amid a global race to secure critical minerals for the green energy transition. At the centre of this rivalry lies the small town of Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia, a strategic hub where three competing corridors – China’s Tazara, the US-backed Lobito Corridor and Japan’s Nacala Corridor – converge. Observers say the race to build these corridors is not just... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324542/china-us-japan-race-control-key-african-rail-routes-critical-minerals-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324542/china-us-japan-race-control-key-african-rail-routes-critical-minerals-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Global gas giant Qatar has pledged to invest US$103 billion in Africa in the coming years, joining Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as the continent’s biggest financiers amid waning interest from the West and China. Six sub-Saharan African countries are set to benefit from agreements signed during the second half of last month with Al-Mansour Holdings, a conglomerate owned by a branch of Qatar’s ruling al-Thani dynasty. Key critical metals producer the Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324228/qatar-joins-gulf-surge-us103-billion-african-nations-wests-interest-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324228/qatar-joins-gulf-surge-us103-billion-african-nations-wests-interest-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Despite Washington’s framing of a key railway network in Angola as a strategic counter to China, the CEO of the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) says the company is “a purely commercial entity” with “zero geopolitical considerations”. Nicholas Fournier, the newly appointed chief executive, said in an interview with the South China Morning Post that the company was just one part of the broader Lobito Corridor, which aims to increase economic activity along the route. LAR has strong commercial ties... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322922/no-geopolitics-involved-angola-rail-project-not-aimed-countering-china-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322922/no-geopolitics-involved-angola-rail-project-not-aimed-countering-china-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying A former manager at Standard Chartered Bank has admitted helping an illegal syndicate deceive Japanese investors into pouring more than 400 million yen (US$2.7 million) into projects in Africa, following an investigation by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Monday that Leung Ho-yin, a former relationship manager at the bank, had pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud. The watchdog first investigated the corruption... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3321490/former-hong-kong-bank-manager-guilty-hk21-million-fraud-japanese-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3321490/former-hong-kong-bank-manager-guilty-hk21-million-fraud-japanese-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:30:21 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Over the past two decades, China has considerably broadened its military and security diplomacy throughout Africa, establishing ties with 53 of the continent’s 54 countries, with eSwatini the only exception. Observers say that among those countries, Tanzania stands out as an exceptionally strong and enduring military partner for Beijing, with more than 90 per cent of its military arms coming from China. According to a study released last month by the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, Tanzania... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316933/inside-china-and-tanzanias-very-special-relationship-found-nowhere-else-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316933/inside-china-and-tanzanias-very-special-relationship-found-nowhere-else-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:00:13 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Lithium and cobalt may have dominated the rush for critical minerals for EV batteries, solar and defence systems, but now copper is emerging as a key element in the green energy transition. Recognising this, China is strategically positioning itself to secure copper supplies, especially from Africa, investing heavily in mining and processing facilities. While the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia have long been China’s top destinations, Botswana is now also becoming a significant... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316539/copper-century-china-moves-shore-supplies-africa-new-energy-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316539/copper-century-china-moves-shore-supplies-africa-new-energy-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Guy Kioni Guy Kioni A ceasefire has brought a reprieve to the war between Israel and Iran, halting the single most dangerous regional conflict in recent years. For Beijing, the world’s largest oil importer, the lesson from the brief, 12-day conflict, could not be clearer: China cannot continue to rely on a region so prone to disruption for the resources needed to power its economic development. China has been successful at maintaining a balancing act between competing geopolitical forces, importing vast amounts of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3316055/africa-could-emerge-winner-chinas-war-induced-energy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3316055/africa-could-emerge-winner-chinas-war-induced-energy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 12:30:08 +0000 A massive acid spill from a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia, which has caused severe environmental damage along a major river, could also cause severe diplomatic damage between the two countries, according to observers. On February 18, a tailings dam containing acid waste from the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia copper mine – which is majority-owned by China Nonferrous Metals Industry Group – collapsed, sending 50 million litres of concentrated acid waste into a stream that connects to the Kafue... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3303353/will-zambian-mine-disaster-spill-over-destroy-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3303353/will-zambian-mine-disaster-spill-over-destroy-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Mar 2025 04:00:12 +0000 China’s aggressive pursuit of critical minerals – particularly across Africa – has raised concerns in Washington and sparked a global rare earths race. But, with a two-year head start, as well as the impetus to do what it must to fuel its hi-tech electronics, renewable energy and defence systems, China is unlikely to lose its leading position, according to experts. From the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Botswana and Zimbabwe, Chinese companies have spent more than US$10 billion acquiring... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3301506/china-still-leads-pack-africas-critical-minerals-race-us-struggles-keep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3301506/china-still-leads-pack-africas-critical-minerals-race-us-struggles-keep?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:00:08 +0000 A New Jersey man whose wife was killed in a horrific hippopotamus attack last year during a safari in Africa is suing the US company that arranged the trip, alleging it failed to ensure their safety and did not adequately screen and supervise the tour guides. Craig and Lisa Manders were on a guided walk in Zambia in June when a hippo charged out of the water, grabbed Lisa Manders by its mouth and crushed her head and body with its bite, according to the lawsuit filed against African Portfolio, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298607/us-man-sues-safari-tour-firm-after-wife-dies-zambia-hippo-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3298607/us-man-sues-safari-tour-firm-after-wife-dies-zambia-hippo-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 22:04:49 +0000 For Beijing, the Tanzania-Zambia railway is “a symbol of China-Africa friendship” – a must-visit stop on any diplomatic tour and China’s largest ever African foreign aid project. But five decades after it was first built, Tazara, as it is known, has fallen into disrepair and is in the financial doldrums, with only 10 locomotives in used instead of its capacity of 50. Now Beijing is stepping in, pledging US$1 billion or more to refurbish the ageing railway. The decision to help save Tazara,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3280038/china-bring-tanzania-zambia-railway-back-full-speed-us1-billion-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3280038/china-bring-tanzania-zambia-railway-back-full-speed-us1-billion-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Oct 2024 08:17:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US inflation probably picked up modestly in July, but not enough to derail the Federal Reserve from a widely anticipated interest-rate cut next month. The consumer price index on Wednesday is expected to have risen 0.2 per cent from June for both the headline figure and the so-called core gauge that excludes food and energy. While each would be an acceleration from June, the annual metrics should continue to rise at some of the slowest paces seen since early 2021. The recent easing of price... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3274047/small-us-inflation-pickup-july-will-do-little-derail-feds-rate-cut-september?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3274047/small-us-inflation-pickup-july-will-do-little-derail-feds-rate-cut-september?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Aug 2024 03:46:43 +0000 Chinese companies are ramping up their acquisition of major copper, cobalt and lithium mining projects in Africa, dominating the critical minerals market, as Beijing positions itself to lead the global green energy transition. In one of the most recent investments, Chinese firm JCHX Mining Management is close to finalising a deal to buy Zambia’s Lubambe copper mine. The deal, which is awaiting approval from the Zambian authorities, would see the Shanghai-listed mining services and contracting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268373/china-buy-another-african-mine-it-elbows-lead-global-green-energy-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268373/china-buy-another-african-mine-it-elbows-lead-global-green-energy-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 08:00:18 +0000 Interpol’s executive committee for the first time elected a police official from a developing nation to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil. Urquiza, 43, who is currently Interpol’s vice-president for the Americas and head of international cooperation at the Brazilian federal police, will succeed Juergen Stock of Germany to lead Interpol from 2025 to 2030. Urquiza, a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, received eight votes against two for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268066/brazilian-become-first-head-interpol-developing-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268066/brazilian-become-first-head-interpol-developing-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2024 03:24:21 +0000 A Kremlin spokesman said Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, won’t get caught in a plane crash if he travels on domestic aircraft, state news agency Tass reported. “The Russian president uses domestic aircraft. These are very reliable vehicles,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday. Peskov was speaking at a press briefing when he was asked about the recent aviation accidents that claimed the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima. Raisi... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3266256/kremlin-says-putins-aircraft-very-reliable-after-crashes-killed-leaders-iran-malawi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3266256/kremlin-says-putins-aircraft-very-reliable-after-crashes-killed-leaders-iran-malawi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:17:37 +0000 A Zambian court on Friday jailed 22 Chinese nationals over cybercrimes that included internet fraud and online scams targeting Zambians and other people from Singapore, Peru and the United Arab Emirates. The Magistrates Court in the capital, Lusaka, jailed them for periods ranging from seven to 11 years. The court also fined them between US$1,500 to US$3,000 after they pleaded guilty to charges of computer-related misrepresentation, identity fraud and illegally operating a network or service on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265874/22-chinese-nationals-jailed-zambia-over-multinational-cybercrimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265874/22-chinese-nationals-jailed-zambia-over-multinational-cybercrimes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jun 2024 17:10:11 +0000 Chinese diplomats are delivering invitation letters to leaders across Africa for the next key diplomatic event between Beijing and the continent, which will take place in September against a backdrop of economic uncertainty. In a departure from tradition – which dictates that details of major summits are released a few weeks or days in advance – Uganda’s foreign ministry said the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will open in Beijing on September 3. According to the ministry, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265778/china-envoys-deliver-xis-invite-african-leaders-september-focac-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265778/china-envoys-deliver-xis-invite-african-leaders-september-focac-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:00:19 +0000 For its latest high jewellery collection, just unveiled in Vienna yesterday with a star-studded event at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), Cartier paid homage to its menagerie of creatures. Named Nature Sauvage (meaning savage nature), the 87-piece collection offers a new take on Cartier’s signature animals – chief among them the celebrated panther – with pieces that blur the lines between figurative and abstract. While previewing the creations in the Austrian capital, editors and VIP guests had... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3264643/cartier-just-showed-its-new-nature-sauvage-high-jewellery-collection-vienna-timely-yet-timeless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3264643/cartier-just-showed-its-new-nature-sauvage-high-jewellery-collection-vienna-timely-yet-timeless?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2024 03:21:59 +0000 Uganda are training hard for their first-ever Twenty20 World Cup, a “dream come true” in a nation where cricket is overshadowed by football as the most popular sport. But they have a tough road ahead in the tournament, which is being jointly hosted by the United States and West Indies and runs from June 1 to June 29. Among their opponents are New Zealand and West Indies, as well as Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea, with the fixtures being held in Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. Time is not on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3264373/cricket-t20-world-cup-uganda-enjoy-dream-come-true-they-prepare-face-new-zealand-west-indies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3264373/cricket-t20-world-cup-uganda-enjoy-dream-come-true-they-prepare-face-new-zealand-west-indies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2024 07:00:10 +0000 China should look to Africa to diversify its supply chains and counter overcapacity claims from the West, according to the head of the Africa Finance Corporation. AFC chief executive Samaila Zubairu said China, a world leader in renewable energy, should consider moving part of the industry’s supply chain to Africa, rather than seeing the continent as just the source of raw materials. “Most of the [new energy] supply chain is in China. What we want China to do … is to look at Africa as a way of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263641/china-should-look-africa-counter-overcapacity-claims-west-afc-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263641/china-should-look-africa-counter-overcapacity-claims-west-afc-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 14:00:09 +0000 When asked whether he preferred China and Russia’s approach to Africa to that of the West, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo did not hesitate. “Oh absolutely! You don’t quite understand African realities,” Félix Tshisekedi told French TV news channel LCI on a trip to Paris late last month. “It’s astonishing to see how we are very distant in terms of culture. We cannot understand why you come to give us lessons, for example, on human rights.” That sentiment was echoed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263199/coalition-dissatisfied-why-china-and-russia-are-winning-friends-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263199/coalition-dissatisfied-why-china-and-russia-are-winning-friends-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2024 12:00:48 +0000 You might not be familiar with Plaatjieskraal Ghost Town in South Africa. I wasn’t, until I read about Russ Cook, who recently became the first person known to have run the length of the African continent. The 27-year-old Englishman began his journey at Cape Agulhas, Africa’s southernmost point, and finished 16,300km (10,130 miles) away, in Tunisia. He crossed 16 countries in 352 days and, on completing the epic feat, admitted with typical British understatement that he felt “a little bit... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3262567/worlds-longest-walk-24262km-south-africa-china-what-see-and-countries-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3262567/worlds-longest-walk-24262km-south-africa-china-what-see-and-countries-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 08:15:13 +0000 China has stepped in to bankroll the building of a controversial oil pipeline in Uganda as Western-backed lenders abandoned the project. But the move is driven “more by geopolitics than by geoeconomics”, according to observers. The assessment follows Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s revelation earlier this month that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, had promised his “unwavering support” for the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), set to run from Uganda’s Lake... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259641/what-has-driven-china-bankroll-controversial-ugandan-crude-oil-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259641/what-has-driven-china-bankroll-controversial-ugandan-crude-oil-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 06:00:11 +0000 In northwest Zimbabwe, a mining site abandoned three decades ago is roaring back to life after a Chinese company pumped millions of dollars into a new lithium processing plant, amid the latest global rush for the “white gold”. Development of the Kamativi lithium mine, located about 90km (56 miles) southeast of Hwange in Matabeleland North Province, is being done in two phases. The first phase is now up and running, with the mine producing an annual total of 300,000 tonnes of raw spodumene ore... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261136/chinas-investment-africas-lithium-mines-begins-pay-new-mineral-supply-chains-created?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261136/chinas-investment-africas-lithium-mines-begins-pay-new-mineral-supply-chains-created?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 04:00:25 +0000 President Xi Jinping has characterised America’s strategy towards China as containment, encirclement, suppression and a technological blockade, producing “unprecedented severe challenges” that aim to forestall China’s post-pandemic recovery and kneecap its modernisation and rejuvenation, undermining peaceful regional development. These concerns were alluded to in a recent call with President Joe Biden – ahead of visits by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3260987/how-us-hustling-china-relations-towards-another-cold-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3260987/how-us-hustling-china-relations-towards-another-cold-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2024 11:30:11 +0000 The rapid build-up of public debt was on the minds of finance ministers gathered in Washington recently for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. With the US Federal Reserve likely to keep interest rates higher for longer, inflation stubbornly unyielding worldwide, and the dollar’s rally, pressures are mounting for urgent relief for heavily indebted low-income countries. The solutions that surfaced in Washington focused on retooling current approaches while... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3260088/imf-world-bank-must-do-more-defuse-bomb-poor-nations-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3260088/imf-world-bank-must-do-more-defuse-bomb-poor-nations-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:30:13 +0000 Trade between China and Africa defied economic headwinds in the first quarter of 2024, with two-way trade growing by 5.9 per cent year on year to US$70.86 billion, according to the latest customs data. This was despite a property crisis in China which affected copper demand, with a downturn in copper prices towards the end of 2023. Experts have attributed the rise in trade to higher commodity prices during the period, as well as incentives introduced by Beijing to grow trade with Africa, in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259601/china-africa-trade-gets-boost-critical-minerals-needed-ev-battery-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259601/china-africa-trade-gets-boost-critical-minerals-needed-ev-battery-production?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 14:00:17 +0000 South Africa, one of China’s most important trading partners in Africa, is preparing to ship its first batch of avocados to the Asian power as Beijing moves to meet growing demand for the superfood. It will make South Africa the third African country, after Kenya and Tanzania, to be granted permission to export fresh avocados to China after meeting strict sanitary and phytosanitary requirements. Increased imports of food products from Africa is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plan to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258802/china-hungry-avocados-and-south-africa-ready-deliver-export-deal-gets-green-light?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258802/china-hungry-avocados-and-south-africa-ready-deliver-export-deal-gets-green-light?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 02:00:37 +0000 The Chinese navy has stepped up its port calls around Africa as part of Beijing’s growing military diplomacy with the continent. After the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) paused many of its African port visits during the pandemic, it is getting back to full strength again in a bid to cement diplomatic ties as well as show off military hardware, according to observers. Earlier this week, China’s 45th naval fleet, including guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, missile frigate Linyi and comprehensive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258645/chinese-navy-steers-course-african-ports-beijings-renewed-diplomatic-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258645/chinese-navy-steers-course-african-ports-beijings-renewed-diplomatic-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2024 10:00:23 +0000 Rwanda will not be “bullied” into taking sides in the superpower rivalry between the United States and China, a senior Rwandan diplomat said in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, adding that Beijing has been “really helpful” to many African economies. James Kimonyo, Rwanda’s ambassador to China, said both Washington and Beijing were important partners for the African country, which has been rebuilding its economy in the three decades since the end of its genocide. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258490/we-cant-be-bullied-rwanda-wont-take-sides-us-china-rivalry-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258490/we-cant-be-bullied-rwanda-wont-take-sides-us-china-rivalry-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Apr 2024 22:00:39 +0000