Greetings from Nairobi!

Eric, Cobus, and Geraud discuss Africa's changing trade relationships, shrinking Western market access, China's expanding economic footprint, and plans for continental railway connectivity.

Watch the latest episode: tinyurl.com/muuemmer

Chinese scam networks are turning Africa into their new hunting ground, relocating from Cambodia to Madagascar with romance fraud, crypto scams, and human trafficking, dragging Kenyans and other Africans into the criminal trade.

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China and Russia are tightening military coordination, expanding joint exercises, technology cooperation and strategic support as Beijing and Moscow cement a defense partnership with growing implications for global security.

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The Quad is turning China’s export controls, industrial overcapacity and trade policies into a geopolitical flashpoint, putting economic security at the center of its push to counter Beijing’s influence.

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Brazil is putting its rare earths on the table with one condition: foreign investors must help build its processing and manufacturing capacity, not simply extract its minerals and ship them out. Washington and Beijing should take note.

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Zijin Mining is facing a pollution lawsuit in Congo, putting the environmental cost of Chinese-backed cobalt mining and the accountability of companies supplying the global EV industry under fresh scrutiny.

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The Lobito Corridor is not just a railway project; it is also a geopolitical battle for Africa’s critical minerals, even as the U.S., Europe, and China position themselves to control the routes, trade, and supply chains that will shape the energy transition.

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India is courting the African vehicle market but rising fuel costs and China’s battery manufacturing surplus are creating an unlikely e-mobility alliance with major implications for the continent’s transport future.

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Taiwan is closing its representative office in Papua New Guinea and stopping LNG purchases from the country, blaming Chinese pressure that led to repeated demands that staff leave its Port Moresby office by a set deadline.

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While most users report high quality, convenience, and economic benefits from Chinese-built projects, significant concerns remain about fiscal risks, debt exposure, environmental damage, and social safeguards.

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China’s rising yuan is squeezing exporters already battling razor-thin margins, putting factory jobs, industrial growth and Beijing’s export-driven economic model under pressure.

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The Lobito Corridor is not just a railway project; it is also a geopolitical battle for Africa’s critical minerals, even as the U.S., Europe, and China position themselves to control the routes, trade, and supply chains that will shape the energy transition.

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China’s Chery is turning South Africa into a launchpad for African car exports, betting on local production to push its Omoda, Jetour and EV ambitions across a continent long treated as a market for imported cars.

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Lula’s reelection is a setback for Trump’s campaign to push China out of Latin America, securing Beijing’s economic foothold in Brazil while putting the country’s critical minerals, trade, and strategic autonomy at the center of the U.S.-China rivalry.

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China is opening its $3.3 billion cherry market to South African growers as U.S. trade tensions push Pretoria to diversify export markets, putting Beijing at the center of a new fight over Africa’s agricultural trade.

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China and the EU are clashing over global economic imbalances, but behind the diplomatic language lies a fight over Chinese industrial dominance, trade deficits and Europe’s ability to protect its manufacturing base.

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China’s emissions fell 3.1% as the Middle East war disrupted oil supplies, transport fuel demand slumped and electrification gained ground, exposing how energy security shocks are accelerating China’s shift away from fossil fuels.

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China is pushing back against accusations that its trade surplus is squeezing global economies, pointing to its import expo as evidence it wants the world selling into China, not just buying from it.

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China and the Philippines have pledged to maintain dialogue despite strained bilateral relations, as the two countries offered different accounts of a recent conversation between their foreign ministers ahead of regional diplomatic meetings later this month.

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Commercial creditors account for 20 percent (~$29.2 billion) of Chinese sovereign loans, reflecting diversification beyond DFIs even as brokered deals raise governance and fiscal risks.

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Chinese electric motorcycles are bringing cleaner, cheaper mobility to Nigeria, but the real cost is buried in batteries, repairs, spare parts and the growing dependence on Chinese technology.

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