https://www.scmp.com/rss/523810/feed Xue Kai: A Beijing-based corporate lawyer and Counsel at DeHeng Law Offices, he specialises in China-Africa mining law, cross-border investment, and mergers and acquisitions. He advises on Belt and Road Initiative financing and African mining transactions, having worked across numerous African nations on diverse infrastructure and resource projects. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The war in Iran and ensuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the risks of over-reliance on the Persian Gulf for oil, turning Beijing’s Mediterranean infrastructure plans from long-term goals into urgent strategic necessities. From Algerian oilfields to Moroccan battery factories and Egypt’s industrial base, China might now fast-track these projects to create a Mediterranean hub for a green-energy supply chain, observers said. Beijing aims to create a strategic backup that protects its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya has revived construction on its multibillion-dollar Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension that stalled more than six years ago, replacing heavy sovereign debt with innovative financing after renegotiating its loans with China. According to Kenyan officials, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its subsidiary, China Road and Bridge Corporation, will build the railway’s two remaining sections at an estimated cost of US$5.4 billion. Kenyan President William Ruto earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348406/china-and-kenya-partner-finish-most-consequential-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348406/china-and-kenya-partner-finish-most-consequential-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Whenever South African officials meet their Chinese counterparts to talk trade, the issue of the imbalance in China’s favour is almost certainly raised. But a discrepancy in the data from the two sides makes it hard to assess the trade gap. The latest Chinese customs data suggests that South Africa actually holds a surplus – exporting more to the world’s second-largest economy than it receives in return. According to the numbers from Beijing, China recorded US$30.58 billion in imports from South... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345939/us17-billion-question-why-china-and-south-africa-are-so-far-apart-trade-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345939/us17-billion-question-why-china-and-south-africa-are-so-far-apart-trade-data?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Driven by Chinese demand, Zimbabwe produced a record 352.7 million kilograms of tobacco – valued at about US$1.2 billion – in last year’s marketing season. This represents a major turnaround for an industry that, if not for Chinese investment, would have nearly collapsed two decades ago, although it remains a crop of concern for health campaigners. As Zimbabwe’s largest agricultural export and a primary foreign currency earner, tobacco dominates its trade with Beijing. Last year, China imported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343817/china-helps-zimbabwe-grow-us12-billion-tobacco-crop-amid-debt-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343817/china-helps-zimbabwe-grow-us12-billion-tobacco-crop-amid-debt-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China will not seek reciprocity in its latest trade agreement with South Africa, its ambassador said, as Beijing prepares to roll out an expanded zero-tariff policy for African nations from May 1. The deal means South African goods can enter the Chinese market tax-free without any requirement for Pretoria to reciprocate by lowering its own import duties on products from China. “In this process, China will fully accommodate South Africa’s interests and will not seek reciprocity,” Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343979/china-says-it-wont-seek-reciprocity-south-africa-zero-tariff-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343979/china-says-it-wont-seek-reciprocity-south-africa-zero-tariff-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage In 1994, Richard Leiter, a South African entrepreneur, took a gamble on the then unknown Chinese commercial truck maker FAW with the introduction of the first Jiefang CA141 truck into the South African market. Two decades later, he had transitioned from importer to industrialist, with a sprawling assembly plant in the Coega special economic zone in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. FAW now outsells major brands like Toyota, Daimler and Isuzu in the heavy truck sector in South Africa, driven by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340081/how-risky-punt-unknown-chinese-truck-manufacturer-paid-south-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340081/how-risky-punt-unknown-chinese-truck-manufacturer-paid-south-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The route to challenging China’s supremacy in rare earth minerals lies in using artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to create synthetic substitutes or alloys, according to a prominent American expert in AI. Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, an AI and quantum technology Alphabet spin-off, said these technologies could cut the time required to secure critical materials to just a few years. This could bypass the traditional 10 to 20 years needed to bring a new mine online while also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343609/could-us-unlock-chinas-rare-earths-grip-ai-and-quantum-computing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343609/could-us-unlock-chinas-rare-earths-grip-ai-and-quantum-computing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese workers are returning to Africa in their thousands, reversing a decade-long decline and signalling a renewed focus on strategic mega-projects across the continent. In 2024, there were 90,793 Chinese workers on contracted projects and labour services on the continent, an increase of about 4 per cent over the 87,078 recorded the previous year, according to data from the China Africa Research Initiative (CARI) at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The upturn marks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337009/chinese-workers-return-africa-lucrative-job-opportunities-beckon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337009/chinese-workers-return-africa-lucrative-job-opportunities-beckon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +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 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The launch of Guinea’s US$20 billion Simandou iron ore project marks a globally significant milestone. The event on Tuesday at Guinea’s Morebaya port, attended by Chinese and regional African leaders, saw the departure of the first shipment of ore from the Simandou project – a major feat after nearly three decades of development. The Chinese delegation was led by Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong, who underscored the importance Beijing has attached to securing high-grade ore for decarbonising the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332581/why-first-simandou-iron-ore-shipment-china-marks-global-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332581/why-first-simandou-iron-ore-shipment-china-marks-global-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is advancing its “health silk road” in Africa by initiating major offshore projects to manufacture essential medicines, such as insulin and antiretrovirals. Nigeria is set to produce Chinese-made insulin, while in the Ivory Coast further west, Chinese giant Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical is on track to complete the first part of its three-phase €50 million (US$58 million) facility by the end of the year. The facility near Abidjan, the country’s biggest city, will manufacture antimalarial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328598/chinas-health-silk-road-africa-gets-boost-insulin-and-other-pharma-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328598/chinas-health-silk-road-africa-gets-boost-insulin-and-other-pharma-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 06:00:14 +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