Remember Jamal Khashoggi.

Is the Global Governance Initiative bringing China closer to multilateral norms and contributing to shared institutions or still keeping one foot in its own institutions? It's early to reflect in depth on this but the debate is getting more interesting. news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...

RMB debt swaps are gaining attention across Africa and Asia, but this isn’t a coordinated Chinese campaign. Countries like Ethiopia, Indonesia, Ghana, and Nigeria are exploring the option, yet each negotiation remains strictly case by case. Watch - tinyurl.com/45wmhpt4

Tsinghua’s Tang Xiaoyang argues China–Africa relations are shifting from big-ticket builds to integration: infrastructure-led localization, zero-tariff imports, trade-to-investment pipelines, and broader industrial ecosystems.

Chinese copper and cobalt extraction in the DR Congo, Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM), has had a collapsed containment dam flood Lubumbashi www.semafor.com/article/11/1...

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has a new president! The previous present has had a long tenure at AIIB, but in the past, the bank has suffered from high turnover in its leadership ranks. www.aiib.org/en/news-even...

A fascinating read from The Diplomat today about Nepal and the BRI! thediplomat.com/2025/06/why-...

A short primer on China's expanding role in LATAM and Caribbean. One of our key takeaways was a "pledge to invite 300 political party officials from CELAC countries to Beijing annually—900 over three years," coinciding with national elections in the next 3 yrs. americasquarterly.org/article/how-...

"China’s purpose was to stabilize the military junta and secure the conditions necessary for large-scale Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects to proceed." When has supporting a military regime to protect overseas investments ever gone astray?

Some intersting analysis of infrastructure within China’s borders.

The Lowy institute's Peak Repayment: China’s Global Lending report details how China has become a debt collector in recent years. One of the most interesting questions to us that was explored in the report is, why now? What is it about the 2020s that primed China to collect? 🧵

Saudi Arabia's Islamic Development Bank has agreed to finance $800m of Uganda's est. $3bn SGR railway. The railway is aimed to connect the landlocked country to Kenya's mostly China-financed and built Nairobi-Mombasa SGR. constructionreviewonline.com/news/ugandas...

MOFCOM is supporting a 2-month training for forestry managers from Solomon Islands to learn (China's) best practices for forest production, sustainability & to develop a regulatory framework that promotes a 'balance' between logging/non-logging activities woodcentral.com.au/beijing-is-u...

China leads mediation for Pakistan - Afghanistan talks to restore diplomatic relations www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/...

Here's by far the most in-depth article we've read so far: emergingmarketwatch.com/browser#/art... A brief thread on some key points 🧵

Colombia has officially signed onto the Belt and Road Initiative! In her post on X afterwards, Minister of Foreign Affairs Laura Sarabia said: "We have taken the most daring step in decades...There is no turning back: Colombia is open--with determination--to the world". A momentous moment for LATAM.

No new updates on Colombia joining the BRI. All that’s clear right now is President Petro is preparing to head to China and is expected to sign. We’ll keep you in the loop!

April saw China's exports to BRI countries grow dramatically on a y2y level ASEAN, up 20.8% y/y Africa, up 25.3% Latin America, up 17.3% The EU, up 8.3% (ASEAN was probably a decent amount of new passthrough to get around US tariff) triviumchina.com/2025/05/09/c...

🚨 Colombia to join the BRI! 🇨🇴🇨🇳 President Petro is reportedly set to visit China this week and has indicated that he will sign a letter of intent to join the BRI. Surely this will be a win for Chinese policymakers in a battle against the US for global influence.

A US-based investment firm -- (partially headed by former Trump appointed ambassador to Kenya) is planning to be the main investors into the $3.4bn Nairobi-Mombasa toll-expressway. The project would be a competitor (compliment?) to China-backed SGR. constructionreviewonline.com/news/usahihi...

On Apr 24, China and Kenya reported their new, upgraded ties as both countries' leaders work to build a China-Africa Community. A thread on Chinese-Kenyan relations, from a BRI perspective. A thread 🧵

New episode! We spoke with Mingwei Huang about her book on Sino-African relations in Johannesburg and racial capitalism. We dove into how race configures Chinese capitalist processes in South Africa. Listen on Apple: tinyurl.com/BRIMingwei Listen on BuzzSprout: tinyurl.com/MingweiBuzzS...

In recent meetings of 🇨🇳🇻🇳, Vietnam interested in BRICS: "Việt Nam highly values the important role of the BRICS in promoting solidarity and cooperation among emerging economies, is ready for discussion about becoming a partner country of BRICS" Read 👇 vietnamnews.vn/politics-law...

China deviates from non-interference policy by publicly asking Rwanda to stop funding M23 rebels in the area of DRC where Chinese gold/tantalum mines are located. www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

We have a new social media manager, and I'd like to introduce myself! My name is Isaac. A Cornell and Oxford grad, I work in Chinese intnl finance, lending, and the BRI. I worked with Juliet in undergrad and have the pleasure of joining her team again! Excited to keep you all up to date on BRI news.

The Algerian government announced the signing of eight new cooperation and investment deals with Chinese entities.

As Xi continues on his tour of SEA (presumably to strengthen relations with China’s neighbours after Trump’s tariffs), it seems that various BRI and infrastructure projects are being touted as hallmarks of Chinese-SEA relations. thediplomat.com/2025/04/chin...

Also involved in security for Chinese firms in Myanmar's jade trade (after 2020) and in the DRC.

This is a great breakdown

In an area we don’t often discuss, this ORF article highlights the safety concerns of Chinese BRI assets in 🇲🇲: how can Chinese SOEs balance security concerns and the principals of non-interference? Myanmar provides an interesting example. t.co/MSHE94Io80

Kenya’s dream of expanding its Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Ugandan border could be coming to fruition

After over a decade of challenges to pass -- Mongolia's parliament approved a 20km China-Mongolia cross-border railway. The railway will be mainly (only?) freight --specifically to bring efficiencies/expand coal exports to China. www.scmp.com/economy/chin...

Here are my views on the key questions after the new round of #US #tariffs and #China’s #response: aliciagarciaherrero.substack.com/p/chinas-rea...

Can always count on Jake to have a completely surprising take on things, this one is particularly interesting

It was an honor to join this excellent podcast to discuss how China became dominant in clean energy manufacturing!

Good to be on @beltandroadpod.bsky.social speaking about justice in the so-called just energy transition.

📣Episode 1 is Live!📣 Environmental Issues along the Belt and Road: "Manufacturing the Clean Energy Transition" Buzzsprout: www.buzzsprout.com/admin/196316...

I'm so grateful for the engaged, critically insightful colleagues I have at SPPGA - check out this collection of commentaries on "Hitting Back Against Trumps' Tariffs" multiple SPPGA Faculty have published: sppga.ubc.ca/news/trumps-... @ubcsppga.bsky.social

Environmental Issues Along the Belt and Road New sub-series w/ @wilsoncentercef.bsky.social 1st episode out tomorrow! Did you know China makes 80% of the world’s solar panels (IEA, 2024) and most other global clean energy tech? But at what cost, and for whom?

📣First episode of our new sub-series **coming Thursday** The "Environmental Issues along the Belt and Road" sub-series follows China's environmental impacts and innovations along the Belt and Road Sponsored by the Wilson Center's China Environment Forum

Asia Society is hiring - Work with our wonderful editor, Taili Ni! asiasociety.org/new-york/pro...

absolutely horrific -

A showing of the diversity of Chinese actors involved in construction in BRI countries: China Henan int'l co-op Group attends the ribbon cutting of a new Namibian Gov't funded road. China Henan was contracted by the gov't for construction of the proejct english.scio.gov.cn/beltandroad/...

According to Wood Mackenzie data, China installed 24GW of new power generation projects in BRI in 2024 - the most ever since the "beginning" of the BRI. (I'm curious how accurate this data is -- not much detail given) www.woodmac.com/press-releas...

As Washington dismantles key media and policy institutions, will this lead to unchecked Chinese influence, or was the U.S. already losing the narrative battle?

Should be noted that the $5bn goes to Exxon not TotalEnergies -- More interestingly -- China's CNOOC also is a developer in the project and has signed long-term LNG purchasing agreements from the LNG project.

After DOGE disbands most USAID projects -- US EXIM bank reapproves $5bn loan for the TotalEnergies $20bn+ Mozambique LNG project. www.reuters.com/business/ene...

China is sending a senior delegation to Panama in response to Trump admin's high pressure tactics to have the country "leave" the BRI and sell port rights away from Hong Kong firm www.scmp.com/news/china/d...