The China in Africa Podcast

Apr 13 2025 299 ep. 54 mins 769

The China in Africa Podcast artwork

Twice-weekly discussion about China's engagement across Africa and the Global South hosted by journalist Eric Olander and Asia-Africa scholar Cobus van Staden in Johannesburg.

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[GLOBAL SOUTH] South China Sea Update: Will the U.S. Really Defend the Philippines Against China?

Apr 13 2025 45 mins

Donald Trump strongly feels that U.S. security alliances in Europe no longer serve Washington's long-term interest. In his view, the U.S. is being "ripped off" by wealthy countries that can afford to pay for their protection but choose to rely on the United States instead. He also says much the same thing about the U.S. military presence in Japan and South Korea. Curiously, though,

WEEK IN REVIEW: Kenya Courts China While U.S. Sounds Alarm Over Beijing’s Reach in Africa

Apr 11 2025 75 mins

Kenyan President William Ruto is scheduled to travel to Beijing later this month for an official state visit, where he's widely expected to finalize a long-awaited deal to extend the Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Ugandan border. But the key question remains: will China agree to fund the 475-kilometer extension? Eric and Géraud also explore why a Chinese mining

The Fate of China's Global Supply Chains in the New Tariff Era

Apr 08 2025 40 mins

With new tariff threats from the Trump administration and rising tensions across key markets, companies and governments alike are scrambling to understand what decoupling—or de-risking—actually looks like in practice. From electronics and apparel to solar panels and electric vehicles, China’s role in global production remains formidable. But is it unshakeable? In this special

China and the New World Trade War

Apr 07 2025 57 mins

U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that he will not back down from his massive tariff campaign that he launched last week and even promised to impose even higher duties on Chinese goods in response to Beijing's 34% tariff retaliation on U.S. imported goods. Kyle Chan, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University and author of the High Capacity Substack, joins Eric

In China’s Wake, India Tries a Cleaner, Fairer Mineral Path in Africa

Apr 03 2025 57 mins

In January, the Indian government published a new critical minerals strategy that details how the country aims to bolster supply chains necessary for its green energy transition. While the report underscores the importance of developing domestic supplies of lithium and other transition resources, it also calls for closer international partnerships, particularly with mineral-rich Af

Lessons From Southeast Asia on How to Manage Great Power Rivalries

Apr 01 2025 55 mins

China and Vietnam have taken two distinctly different approaches in how they manage their territorial disputes with China. The Philippines is leaning into its alliance with the United States along with new security pacts with more than half a dozen other countries. Vietnam, in contrast, is going it alone. Ironically, Vietnam is expanding its territorial presence in the disputed Sou

South Africa's Active Yet Unequal Trade With China

Mar 27 2025 45 mins

From afar, the China-South Africa trade relationship looks amazing. Last year, the two countries sold more than $52 billion worth of goods to one another — mostly raw materials from South Africa and finished goods from China. But when you look at the figures more closely, some real problems become evident. While trade volumes between the two countries have grown exponentially ove

WEEK IN REVIEW: Chinese Mining Disaster in Zambia

Mar 21 2025 60 mins

Millions of Zambians along the Kafue River are coming to grips with the devastating environmental impact brought about by a massive acid spill from a Chinese-run copper mine. A tailings dam broke on February 18th, sending 50 million liters of toxic water into the Kafue River, killing fish, wildlife and endangering public health. Sino-Metals, the Chinese mining company, apologized f

China, Africa, and the Post-American World

Mar 18 2025 42 mins

During his Senate confirmation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the so-called "liberal international order" that he said was obsolete and no longer working for the United States. Since he and his boss, President Donald Trump, took office eight weeks ago, they have thoroughly upended the post-WWII global order that the U.S. itself established and led for the past 75 ye

China, the U.S., and the Competition for Africa’s Strategic Resources

Mar 12 2025 55 mins

Southern Africa has become a focal point of geopolitical competition, with the U.S., China, and other global powers maneuvering for influence over key infrastructure projects and critical resources. The Lobito Corridor Project, a railway and logistics initiative spanning Angola, Zambia, and the DRC, is at the center of this contest. Questions around financing, U.S. aid freezes,