https://www.scmp.com/rss/523020/feed The latest news and top stories on David Shinn, an Adjunct Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University. He served 37 years in the US Foreign Service, including as Ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, with postings across Africa. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China has placed its nationals on high alert following a series of rebel attacks targeting the US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline and an Islamic State raid on the Nigerien capital’s international airport on January 29. On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Niamey urged citizens to avoid high-risk areas and instructed firms to implement emergency response plans as insurgent groups increasingly target Chinese-managed infrastructure. The warning follows recent attacks on the pipeline and a predawn... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344831/why-beijings-us45-billion-niger-benin-oil-pipeline-being-attacked-rebels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344831/why-beijings-us45-billion-niger-benin-oil-pipeline-being-attacked-rebels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:30:00 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage As France’s influence fades and with Russian weapons in limited supply, a “military vacuum” has been created in West and Central Africa that China is uniquely positioned to fill, according to analysts. In a January report in the official journal China Military to Civilian, arms supplier China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation said Beijing was leveraging its reputation for “cost-effective technology and flexible financing” in Africa. This follows a wave of military coups across... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342903/how-military-vacuum-west-and-central-africa-opened-new-markets-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342903/how-military-vacuum-west-and-central-africa-opened-new-markets-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China has appointed a new ambassador to Libya after its embassy in Tripoli reopened in November, more than a decade after it was shuttered over security concerns. Ma Xueliang’s appointment was confirmed when he met Libyan charge d’affaires Khaled al-Sayeh in Beijing on January 27 in his new capacity before he left for Tripoli, according to the state-owned Libyan News Agency. China had closed its embassy in Tripoli in 2014 and moved its diplomatic mission to Tunisia because of the security... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342900/china-sends-envoy-libya-after-embassy-shuttered-more-decade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342900/china-sends-envoy-libya-after-embassy-shuttered-more-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is rolling out hundreds of activities across Africa, including study trips and AI competitions, as part of what experts have described as a “soft power” charm offensive designed to deepen its influence across the continent. In moving beyond its traditional focus on infrastructure and high-level finance, Beijing is expanding its engagement through the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges – an initiative dedicated to cultural and social diplomacy. Announced by Chinese Foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340092/how-china-stepping-africa-charm-offensive-boost-cultural-ties-deepen-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340092/how-china-stepping-africa-charm-offensive-boost-cultural-ties-deepen-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China and the African Union issued a joint call to uphold an international law-based order, with particular respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, in a display of unity against Washington’s raid on Venezuela. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and African Union chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed concerns over the events in Venezuela in a statement released after their meeting in Ethiopia on Thursday. The United States raided Venezuela on Saturday and abducted its leader Nicolas... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339294/china-fm-wang-yi-opens-africa-tour-united-call-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339294/china-fm-wang-yi-opens-africa-tour-united-call-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:34:20 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage More than six centuries ago, roughly 80 years ahead of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, Chinese admiral Zheng He reached the eastern coast of Africa with a massive fleet and a crew of more than 20,000 under his command. The Ming dynasty ships braved formidable waves and traversed vast distances on seven epic maritime expeditions to reach the shores of Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia and finally the eastern coast of Africa. Despite his achievements, Zheng He remains largely absent from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337689/exhibition-traces-chinas-long-links-kenya-admiral-zheng-he-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337689/exhibition-traces-chinas-long-links-kenya-admiral-zheng-he-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:00:10 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is cementing its image as a lasting partner across Africa by gifting high-profile infrastructure, such as presidential palaces and parliament buildings. A key example is the new US$32 million Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) headquarters in Abuja. Funded by China and set for handover by the end of January, this centralised complex for the 15-member bloc aims to boost staff productivity and cut operational costs. On December 4, Chinese ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335984/china-built-headquarters-15-member-economic-bloc-strengthens-ties-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335984/china-built-headquarters-15-member-economic-bloc-strengthens-ties-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 08:00:13 +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 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage A Chinese naval fleet including a guided-missile destroyer, missile frigate and comprehensive supply ship set sail earlier this month from a port in eastern Qingdao, heading to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters. It was the 48th escort task group to be sent to the region in a Chinese navy programme that has been helping to protect commercial ships and counter Somali piracy since 2008, when there were numerous attacks by Somali pirates. Since 2013, however, there have been very few Somali pirate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330194/why-does-chinas-navy-still-sail-gulf-aden-despite-lack-somali-pirate-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330194/why-does-chinas-navy-still-sail-gulf-aden-despite-lack-somali-pirate-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The launch of a divisive multibillion-dollar mega dam on the Nile River has sparked a tense diplomatic battle between Ethiopia and Egypt, with Cairo denouncing it as “an unlawful unilateral act” and protesting to the United Nations Security Council. During an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the US$5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a “symbol of Ethiopian unity and national achievement”. Several regional leaders, including Kenyan President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325280/will-china-step-egypt-and-ethiopia-spar-over-beijing-backed-nile-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325280/will-china-step-egypt-and-ethiopia-spar-over-beijing-backed-nile-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is equipping Burkina Faso’s military and positioning itself for greater influence in the Sahel, filling a vacuum left by the collapse of security partnerships with Western nations, especially the United States and France. The move is part of a broader modernisation plan that the Burkinabe government, headed by junta leader Ibrahim Traoré, announced in late 2023 amid growing insecurity waged by jihadist militants, mostly affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State. After a complex diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321831/china-arms-burkina-faso-sahel-turns-away-western-security-promises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321831/china-arms-burkina-faso-sahel-turns-away-western-security-promises?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 11:00:09 +0000