Episodes

  • China at COP30 and the New Politics of Climate Change

    China at COP30 and the New Politics of Climate Change
    Nov 27 2025

    With the U.S. absent from two major international summits this month, the G20 in South Africa and the COP30 in Brazil, we got an early look at what the post-American order is starting to look like. In both instances, China moved to fill the void left by the U.S., taking on a much more prominent role.

    Anika Patel, China analyst at the non-profit climate news site Carbon Brief, reported extensively from COP30 and noted a key difference in Beijing's messaging at the different summits in Johannesburg and Belém. In South Africa, Chinese Premier Li Qiang sought to position Beijing as an emergent global norm-setter, whereas in Brazil, the Chinese delegation explicitly rejected a leadership role.

    Anika joins Eric & Cobus to discuss China's complicated position at the COP30 summit and why, even though it's the world's leader in climate energy and technology, the country explicitly doesn't want the designation "climate leader."

    📌 Key topics in this episode:

    • China's unusually prominent role at COP30 as the U.S. stayed away
    • Why China rejects the "climate leader" label despite its influence
    • How consensus politics shaped COP30 outcomes on finance, fossil fuels, and just transition
    • Climate finance tensions and China's insistence on developing-country status
    • Battles over CBAM, EV tariffs, rare earths, and other unilateral trade measures
    • How developing countries weigh cheap Chinese green tech against local industry goals
    • Why China's carbon market, energy transition, and pavilion drew huge interest at COP30

    SHOW NOTES:

    • Carbon Brief: COP30: Key outcomes for food, forests, land and nature at the UN climate talks in Belém
    • Carbon Brief: COP30: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Belém

    JOIN THE DISCUSSION:

    X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth

    Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social

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    • French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
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    Become a CGSP 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 CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    49 mins
  • How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build Influence in Africa

    How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build Influence in Africa
    Nov 25 2025

    China has funded, designed, and built more than 200 government buildings across Africa, including the headquarters of the African Union and Ecowas, foreign ministry annexes in Ghana and Kenya, and at least 15 national parliaments.

    Eric and Cobus speak with Innocent Batsani-Ncube, an associate professor of African politics at Queen Mary University of London and author of the new book China and African Parliaments.

    Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Lesotho, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, Batsani-Ncube explains how China's parliamentary construction boom works, why African governments welcome it, and what he calls "subtle power"—a form of elite-level influence that sits between soft and sharp power.

    📌 Key topics in this episode:

    • Why China builds African parliamentary buildings — and why African governments accept them
    • "Subtle power" vs. soft power vs. sharp power
    • The politics behind construction, design, and land selection
    • How these buildings shape legislative capacity and political identity
    • Case studies: Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Congo-Brazzaville
    • Does this compromise sovereignty? Or strengthen parliaments?
    • Are these buildings really vectors for Chinese espionage?

    📘 Purchase China and African Parliaments by Innocent Batsani-Ncube on Amazon

    JOIN THE DISCUSSION:

    X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth

    Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social

    FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH & SPANISH:

    • French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
    • Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

    JOIN US ON PATREON!
    Become a CGSP 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 CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    42 mins
  • A Conversation With Wu Peng, China's Top Diplomat For Africa

    A Conversation With Wu Peng, China's Top Diplomat For Africa
    Sep 3 2021

    This week Eric & Cobus sit down with Wu Peng, the director-general of the department of African affairs in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for his perspective on a wide range of issues that are impacting relations between the two regions.

    The conversation also features questions from a trio of experts in China-Africa relations including:

    • Gyude Moore, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development (@gyude_moore)
    • Zainab Usman, director of the Africa program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (@MissZeeUsman)
    • Aggrey Mutambo, senior diplomatic affairs writer for the Daily Nation and The East African newspaper (@agmutambo)


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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Weaponizing China's Belt and Road Initiative

    Weaponizing China's Belt and Road Initiative
    Nov 6 2020

    Since its inception in 2013, Chinese government officials have insisted that the Belt and Road is solely an economic initiative and does not have any military motivations. But the BRI's civil-military distinction is no longer as clear cut as it used to be. President Xi Jinping himself called for a strong BRI security system to protect China's overseas interests, people and property.

    One little-known aspect of the BRI is that much of the overseas construction, particularly ports, must conform to standards that conform to the People's Liberation Army's requirements. So, while today there's little evidence that China is leveraging the BRI for security or military purposes, there are concerns that it is positioning to be able to do so in the future should the need arise.

    Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute, examined the security dimensions of the BRI in a recent paper. Daniel joins Eric & Cobus to discuss what he calls the Belt and Road's "civil-military fusion" in maritime, terrestrial and space environments.

    JOIN THE DISCUSSION:

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject

    Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @dannyrrussel

    Watch a discussion with the authors of ASPI's report Weaponizing the Belt and Road Initiative: https://youtu.be/PX5PnnnYrFw

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    58 mins
  • Chinese Nationals' Role in Africa's Illicit Weapons, Mining, and Money Flows

    Chinese Nationals' Role in Africa's Illicit Weapons, Mining, and Money Flows
    Nov 21 2025
    There's mounting evidence from the United Nations and others that Chinese organized crime syndicates are moving more of their operations from countries in Southeast Asia to Africa. These groups are contributing to a surge in illicit crypto mining, scam centers, illegal wildlife trafficking, and black market weapons sales. African countries with already weak governance systems are particularly vulnerable. Géraud speaks with Adam Rousselle, a researcher and author who tracks the illicit arms trade, about his recent article on the topic published by the Jamestown Foundation. Adam explains how all of the different Chinese illegal trade networks in Africa are interlinked with one another. SHOW NOTES: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Inflection Point: Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast AsiaJamestown Foundation: Illicit PRC-linked Finance Enables Arms Diversion in Africa by Adam Rouselle CHAPTERS: The Illicit Underworld – How illegal mining, logging, and weapons flows shape China–Africa debatesIndividuals vs the State – Why Chinese nationals abroad are often mistaken for Beijing's agentsSouth Kivu Gold Trail – What the recent court case reveals about Chinese smuggling networksGovernance Gaps – How weak enforcement and political protection fuel illicit economiesCryptocurrency Networks – The rise of Chinese-linked crypto operations in Nigeria and beyondWeapons on the Move – Why Chinese-made guns keep appearing in Africa's conflict zonesThe UAE Hub – How Dubai became the transit point for arms and illicit financeThe Leaky Bucket – Why illicit flows don't imply coordination or state intentLocal Complicity – The real role of African politicians, militaries, and brokersReputational Risks for Beijing – Embassy frustrations and the cost of unmanaged actorsMedia Distortions – How U.S. and European narratives simplify complex realities JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH & SPANISH: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineSpanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP 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 CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    55 mins
  • Is China's "Engineering State" the New Development Model for the Global South?

    Is China's "Engineering State" the New Development Model for the Global South?
    Nov 14 2025
    China's rapid ascent from rural poverty to industrial superpower reshaped the global economy and established a new center of gravity for manufacturing. Today, Chinese factories anchor much of the world's supply chains, producing goods at a speed and scale that few countries can match. Behind this transformation is a system that author Dan Wang describes in his new book "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future" as the "engineering state," a model defined by massive investments in infrastructure, strategic planning, and so-called "process knowledge" gleaned from the country's rapid industrial development. Now, more and more, the Chinese government touts this development model as an example for other countries in the Global South to emulate. Dan joins Eric to discuss whether the so-called "engineering state" is replicable elsewhere or if it's a uniquely Chinese phenomenon. CHAPTERS: • Setting the Stage – China's rise from rural poverty to industrial superpower • The Engineering State – How China builds, plans, and organizes at a massive scale • Roots of the Model – East Asian development traditions and Soviet legacies • Infrastructure as Strategy – High-speed rail, bridges, airports, and the costs behind them • Industrial Capacity – Manufacturing clusters, supply chains, and process knowledge • The Speed Advantage – Why Chinese firms move faster than global competitors • Tech Transfer Debates – Joint ventures, old IP, and myths about forced transfers • Subsidies and Support – What Chinese industrial subsidies do—and what they don't • Exporting the Model – Limits of replication in Africa, Asia, and the Global South • The China Price – How scale, logistics, and workforce learning lock in dominance • Internal Tensions – Debt, underused infrastructure, and diminishing returns • Shifting Priorities – Xi's push away from consumer tech and toward strategic industries • Global Backlash – Overcapacity, trade pushback, and rising protectionism • Future Crossroads – Why China's development engine is losing momentum • Lessons for the Global South – What countries can adapt—and what they must avoid JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH & SPANISH: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineSpanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP 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 CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    41 mins
  • Why China's Ability to Make a $6 Toaster is a Big Problem for the Global South

    Why China's Ability to Make a $6 Toaster is a Big Problem for the Global South
    Nov 12 2025
    China is breaking the rules of development. Typically, as countries progress up the value chain, they transition from agriculture to light industry, then to heavy industry, and ultimately to high-technology and services. And as they move up the value chain, this creates opportunities for less-developed countries to advance. But China's not doing that. Chinese manufacturers are holding on to their immense productive capacity, enabling them to produce both low-tech sneakers and high-tech semiconductors at a scale and cost that are unrivaled. Now, as developing countries around the world seek to move up the value chain, they will have to compete head-on against the dreaded "China Price." James Kynge, who covered China for nearly 30 years at the Financial Times, delved into this challenge in a fascinating audiobook that came out earlier this year, "Global Tech Wars: China's Race to Dominate." James joins Eric from London to explain how China's ability to produce a $6 toaster exemplifies the country's enormous manufacturing advantage that will be very difficult, if not impossible, for other countries to match. CHAPTERS: • Introduction – The $6 toaster and the global value chain crisis • The Flying Geese Model – How automation broke development's old path • China's Dual Reality – A continent-sized economy of billionaires and low-wage labor • Industrial Clusters – The unbeatable advantage of Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta • The Global South's Dilemma – Competing against the "China price" • Automation and Inequality – Why manufacturing isn't moving offshore • The $1 Trillion Surplus – Trade backlash and global tensions • Searching for Solutions – Industrial policy and self-strengthening in the Global South • Winners and Losers – Cheap exports, consumer gains, and producer pain • Political Risk – Xi Jinping's lesson from Western deindustrialization • The Humanoid Robot Moment – From $6 toasters to $6,000 robots • China's Auto Revolution – BYD and the new wave of affordable EVs • The Double-Edged Future – Opportunity and disruption in China's rise SHOW NOTES: Financial Times: Global Tech Wars: China's Race to Dominate by James KyngeFinancial Times: China's plan to reshape world trade on its own terms by James Kynge and Keith Fray JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH & SPANISH: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineSpanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP 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 CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    22 mins
  • How China Changed Its Image in the African News Media

    How China Changed Its Image in the African News Media
    Nov 8 2025

    Ten years ago, African news coverage of China's engagement on the continent was often quite negative and repackaged many of the critical Western narratives. Today, the situation is very different.

    China has spent considerable resources cultivating closer ties with African news outlets. Through a combination of journalist junkets, so-called "content sharing agreements," and Chinese equipment donations to African state broadcasters, Beijing has been very effective in generating much more positive coverage.

    In this special episode from the African Investigative Journalism Conference at Wits University in Johannesburg, Eric & Cobus speak with Aggrey Mutambo, Africa editor at the Daily Nation newspaper in Kenya, about the changing Chinese narrative in the African news media.

    CHAPTERS:

    • Introduction – From Johannesburg and the African Investigative Journalism Conference
    • A Decade of Change – How China's media image in Africa evolved
    • Shifting Narratives – From Western framing to African perspectives
    • Building Influence – Beijing's strategy for cultivating local journalists
    • The Tools of Soft Power – Junkets, content sharing, and equipment donations
    • Inside the Newsroom – How editors like Aggrey Mutambo see China coverage now
    • Competing Stories – Western skepticism vs. Chinese engagement
    • Frustration with the West – Why African journalists are rethinking narratives
    • The Xinjiang Question – How African reporters interpret Chinese messaging
    • Development and Delivery – The appeal of China's efficiency model
    • Trade, Trust, and Strategy – What Kenya and South Africa want from Beijing
    • The Next Chapter – What balanced China–Africa journalism could look like

    JOIN THE DISCUSSION:
    X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth

    Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social

    FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH & SPANISH:

    • French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
    • Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

    JOIN US ON PATREON!
    Become a CGSP 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 CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    39 mins