Rajpriya Gautam

W. Gyude Moore, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. and the former minister of public works in Liberia,  wrote another provocative article  on U.S.-China-Africa relations  that ricocheted across the internet over the weekend . As U.S.-China relations rapidly deteriorate, seemingly by the day, Moore is emerging as a forceful voice calling on African governments “to chart a new course” and avoid becoming entangled in this latest great power rivalry. What sets Moore’s analysis apart from that of other analysts in Washington and Beijing, is that’s he willing to bluntly say what others won’t, sharply criticizing both sides for policies that undermine African economic growth and political agency. “Both China and the West benefit from a global system that confines Africa’s role to being a source of unprocessed natural resources and a market for finished products,”  he wrote in the column published on the South African news site ...

China’s General Administration of Customs published a list  of 46 meat processing plants around the world that have halted exports to China due to COVID-19 outbreaks among their workers. But Namibia, so far, is not on the list. That’s important because Namibia’s state-run meat processing company Meatco has  sold 973,412 metric tons to Chinese buyers this year  despite the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent slow down in trade. If Namibian meat processing facilities can remain COVID-free, sales are poised to increase further. China is  importing record amounts of pork  and beef to make up for the devastating loss of as much as  60% of the country’s pig livestock  due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever. Now, the Chinese government appears to be eager to restock its pork reserves in an effort that also appears to be having ancillary benefits on the beef market as well. Namibia’s been selling beef to China only since last May . Namibia and Sout...

Chinese businesses are coming to Africa for “what they need” and are not challenging local enterprises in Nigeria and Africa more broadly, according to the founder and president of the Dangote Group, Alika Dangote,  in an interview with the Nigerian business TV program “Moneyline with Nancy.” Dangote, who also happens to be Africa’s wealthiest person, brushed aside complaints that Chinese imports and businesses are undermining competition at the local level.  Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man, shares his perspective on the impact of China's presence in Africa. What do you think about his views? @AlikoDangote Lagos Nigeria pic.twitter.com/WS46jwdeBy — Moneyline with Nancy (@moneylineTV) August 22, 2020 That assessment, though, would not be well received among many of Kenya’s small merchants, who are calling on the government for help against Chinese importers who are unscrupulously and, in their view, illegally “ importing sub-standard goods and imitations and sel...

The Chinese government will add 2,000 tons of cobalt to its strategic commodity reserve in a move that is expected to further bolster prices of this vitally important mineral that largely comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa,  according to a report in Bloomberg. Cobalt is an essential material used in batteries for electric vehicles which is emerging as a key industry in China and part of the government’s controversial “Made in China 2025” industrial plan.  Cobalt prices may also get a lift from increased raw-supply from the DR Congo after the government on Saturday  announced that it would suspend its requirement that cobalt and copper concentrate be first processed in the country  before export. Chinese companies stand to benefit from Kinshasa’s latest decision given that they play a dominant role at almost every stage of the cobalt mining-to-processing supply chain. SUGGESTED READING: Bloomberg :  China Plans to Buy 2,000 Ton...

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The Chinese government will add 2,000 tons of cobalt to its strategic commodity reserve in a move that is expected to further bolster prices of this vitally important mineral that largely comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa,  according to a report in Bloomberg. Cobalt is an essential material used in batteries for electric vehicles which is emerging as a key industry in China and part of the government’s controversial “Made in China 2025” industrial plan.  Cobalt prices may also get a lift from increased raw-supply from the DR Congo after the government on Saturday  announced that it would suspend its requirement that cobalt and copper concentrate be first processed in the country  before export. Chinese companies stand to benefit from Kinshasa’s latest decision given that they play a dominant role at almost every stage of the cobalt mining-to-processing supply chain. SUGGESTED READING: Bloomberg :  China Plans to Buy 2,000 T...

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