Diplomacy Notebook posted on 16 September 2026 a commentary titled "Rebuilt After 9/11, U.S. Diplomacy Now Lies in Ruins" by Nicholas Kralev.
This is an account of the destruction since 9/11 of the U.S. Foreign Service, especially since the advent of the second Trump administration.
Fana Media Corporation, an Ethiopian government affiliated company, posted on 4 September 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia Places Red Sea Access at the Heart of National Security and Regional Stability."
Ethiopia plans to use its BRICS' membership to press its case for peaceful access to the Red Sea at the BRICS' summit in New Delhi on 12-13 September. Ethiopia's charge d'affaires in New Delhi recently underscored the importance Ethiopia attaches to this issue.
The Diplomat published on 8 September 2026 a commentary titled "The Strategic Calculus of Xi Jinping's Egypt Visit" by Ayesha Sikandar, National Defense University.
Xi Jinping's 1-2 September state visit to Egypt symbolized a broader shift among Middle Eastern states toward diversifying their foreign policy partnerships.
For Egypt, the visit signals not a pivot away from the United States, but rather a realignment to achieve more strategic autonomy amidst volatility in the Middle East.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 3 September 2026 a commentary titled "The Two Key Takeaways from Xi's Egypt Visit" by Amr Hamzawy.
The author concluded that "China's influence in the Middle East is on the rise, and Egypt's international partnerships amid regional turmoil in the Middle East are growing. Those are the two key takeaways of Xi's visit to Egypt."
The Washington Examiner published on 31 August 2026 an article titled "America Saw No More Oil. China Saw an Atlantic Military Fortress" by Yagiz Sullu.
After oil production in Equatorial Guinea peaked and began to decline, American oil companies began their departure. China remained and began helping Malabo diversify its economy. Beijing may have in mind longer term security interests and possibly even a military base in the Atlantic.
China's President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Egypt 1-2 September 2026. Both countries issued joint statements at the end of the visit. Curiously, the English translations of the two statements are different.
Egypt's version published by ahramonline and dated 2 September 2026 is titled "Egypt and China Joint Statement on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."
China's version posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and dated 2 September is titled "Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Arab Republic of Egypt on Further Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."
Following are the different translations of three sections relating to African issues important to Egypt. While the meaning is essentially the same, there are some important differences in word choice.
China's translation of the section on Nile water:
"Both sides reaffirmed their firm mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns. China emphasized its understanding of the Nile's vital importance as Egypt's main lifeline and its legitimate rights to safeguard its water security, food security, and development interests. Both sides called on all Nile River basin countries to abide by international law, including avoiding harm."
Egypt's translation of the section on Nile water:
"The two sides reaffirmed their firm mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns. The Chinese side affirmed its recognition of the vital importance of the Nile River to Egypt as its principal lifeline and of Egypt's legitimate right to safeguard its water and food security and development interests. Both sides called on all Nile Basin countries to comply with international law, including the obligation not to cause harm."
China's translation of the section on Red Sea security:
"The governance and security of the Red Sea are primarily the responsibility of the Red Sea littoral states. The wishes of these countries should be fully respected. The Red Sea littoral states should strengthen regional cooperation, jointly address challenges, and ensure freedom of navigation and unimpeded international trade."
Egypt's translation of the section on Red Sea security:
"The primary responsibility for the governance and security of the Red Sea rests with its littoral states. The will of those states must be fully respected. Regional cooperation among the littoral states must be strengthened to address common challenges and safeguard freedom of navigation and international trade."
China's translation of the section on Sudan:
"Both sides emphasized that Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected, Sudanese state institutions should be upheld, and interference in its internal affairs should be avoided. Both sides stressed their willingness to work together to achieve a ceasefire in Sudan and initiate a Sudanese-led inclusive political process."
Egypt's translation of the section on Sudan:
"The two sides stressed the need to: Respect Sudan's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Preserve Sudan's national institutions. Refrain from interfering in Sudan's internal affairs. Work jointly to end the war in Sudan and launch a comprehensive, Sudanese-owned political process."
Brookings published on 27 August 2026 a commentary titled "Don't Let the Iran War Distract the United States from Africa" by Landry Signe.
The Iran war risks distracting the United States from Africa when competition for critical minerals, trade, and alliances with African countries become more intense. China, France, Russia, UAE, and India are accelerating their engagement on the continent, meaning any American retreat will come at a high geopolitical opportunity cost.
Al-Monitor published on 26 August 2026 an article titled "China's Xi to Visit Egypt for First Time in Decade as Military, Huawei Ties Grow" by Jack Dutton.
President Xi Jinping will make his first visit to Egypt in a decade next week. The visit comes after the beginning of a joint military air exercise and as Huawei seeks to supply more than 2,000 advanced AI chips for Egyptian government data centers. Huawei's move prompted Washington to consider backing a rival offer from US technology companies.
The Diplomat published on 24 July 2026 a commentary titled "As the World Courts Beijing, Namibia Shows How Africa Can Sharpen Its China Strategy" by Huiyi Chen and Ovigwe Eguegu.
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah made a weeklong state visit to China in early July. She arrived with a clear agenda, negotiated a Namibia-relevant itinerary, and left with numerous tangible agreements. The authors urge other African leaders to follow her example.
USA Today published on 19 July 2026 an opinion piece titled "Reduction in US State Department Staff Was Purge in Diplomacy" by Elizabeth "Liz" Colton.
The Trump administration's dismissal of diplomacy and purge of the State Department have resulted in the predictable negative impact on US foreign policy.
Foreign Policy published on 8 July 2026 an article titled "Marco Rubio Burned Down the House to Fix a Sink" by Amanda Klasing, Amnesty International.
Secretary of State Rubio has led an assault on human rights in American statecraft by slashing humanitarian aid, decimating human rights programs, gutting human rights offices and bureaus, disengaging from global human rights systems at the United Nations and elsewhere, and threatening international justice mechanisms.
He has also changed the guidelines for the State Department's annual, global human rights reports by prioritizing political agendas over consistent accounting of human rights violations around the world.
Ethiopia's Capital published on 12 July 2026 an op-ed titled "A 105-year Journey of Struggle: The Code of China's Development and a New Chapter in China-Africa Cooperation" by Ambassador Jiang Feng, head of China's mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The op-ed begins: "On July 1st, the Communist Party of China (CPC) marked the 105th anniversary of its founding. For the Chinese people, it is an important occasion to reflect on the nation's journey of struggle and achievement while looking ahead to the bright prospects. For our African friends who are interested in China's development, it also offers an important opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the key to China's development."
The op-ed continues to praise the progress made by the CPC and suggests that China's model of development offers lessons for African countries.
Comment: The Mission of China to the African Union website posted the same op-ed on 7 July. It is not clear if Capital published the op-ed because it considered the ambassador's remarks newsworthy or there was some other incentive.
Fana Fact Check published on 7 July 2026 an article titled "AU, Russia Commitment to Deeper Partnership, Advance Africa-Led Solutions to Global Challenges."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in Addis Ababa on 7 July. They expressed agreement on numerous mutual issues of concern and on many AU policies and goals.
Comment: There were no commitments of tangible Russian assistance to the African Union or the challenges it faces in Africa today.
The Sudan Tribune published on 8 July 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia Faces No Threat from Regional Alliance, PM Abiy Says."
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed dismissed concerns over an alleged growing alliance of Eritrea, Sudan, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, noting that his country is improving its defensive capabilities.
The Foreign Service Journal published in its July/August 2026 edition an article titled "When America Went Silent: The Strategic Costs of Dismantling VOA" by Elez Biberaji, 43-year veteran of VOA.
The effort by the Trump administration to shut down the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which operates the Voice of America and sister media outlets, has eroded America's capacity to shape global understanding and ceded influence to competitors who weaponize information.
The Washingtonian published on 2 July 2026 an article titled "Reviving Voice of America Will be Difficult, Insiders Say" by Ike Allen.
As a result of a court decision and some funding by Congress, VOA is trying to return to service. But only about 200 of its former 2,000 employees are at work and its effort is limited to a few languages.
The Trump administration is appealing the court order to restart VOA operations, and the matter is in limbo. The situation at the VOA headquarters in downtown Washington has deteriorated so much that some fired staff believe it will not be possible to revive the organization, at least not during the Trump administration.
The Sudan Tribune published a report dated 29 June 2026 titled "China Forgives $50 Million of Sudan's Debt to Ease Economic Strain."
Sudan and China signed on 28 June an agreement to cancel about $50 million in four interest-free loans that China had provided to Sudan.
Comment: China and Sudan have made much of this debt cancellation. It is important to put it in perspective. At the end of 2023, Sudan's total external debt stood at $66.8 billion. According to AIDDATA, a research lab at William & Mary, Sudan's debt to China at the end of 2021 totaled $18 billion. (See page 392 of the AIDDATA report here.)
While any debt cancellation for Sudan is a welcome development, this particular decision does not even scratch the surface of Sudan's debt problem.
The Torino World Affairs Institute published in 2026 a study titled "The Sino-Moroccan Rapprochement: An Analysis of Geoeconomic Convergence, Diplomatic Calibration and Media Narratives in a Changing Maghreb" by Bianca Pasquier and Imane Ezzehouany, edited by Amanda Chen and Leonardo Bruni.
The study concludes that by deepening its engagement with China, Morocco is reengineering its agency and room for maneuver while maintaining its traditional ties with the United States and Europe. China's economic presence in the Kingdom, albeit still limited compared to European and Gulf partners in overall investment terms, has rapidly expanded in industrial sectors critical for the green transition and the restructuring of global value chains.
The Third World Quarterly published on 17 June 2026 a research article titled "Navigating Cooperation with Great Powers: Elite Perceptions of U.S. and Chinese Economic Engagement in Ghana in the Twenty-first Century" by Monika Rozalska, Paulina Matera, and Bartosz Kowalski.
This study is based on in-depth interviews with a limited sample--22 Ghanaian university professors, government officials, and non-governmental leaders. It concludes that both China and the United States engage in neocolonial practices to varying degrees. While both countries promote development, it is questionable whether their activities align with Ghanaian priorities. Beijing and Washington emphasize access to raw materials over empowering local industrial development. As a result, Ghana pursues a policy of balance towards the United States and China.
Daily News Egypt published on 10 June 2026 an article titled "Egypt, Eritrea Say Red Sea Security Is Exclusive Responsibility of Littoral States."
The foreign ministers of Egypt and Eritrea, meeting in Cairo, recently stressed that the security and management of the Red Sea remain the exclusive responsibility of its littoral states, completely rejecting any attempts by non-littoral parties to impose security arrangements or to impose their maritime access in violation of the provisions of international law.
Comment: This comment is clearly aimed at landlocked Ethiopia, which is trying to obtain an outlet to the Red Sea.
Africa-Press published on 3 June 2026 an article titled "Tanzania: Historic Russia Visit Amid Tensions."
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan made an official visit to Russia 3-5 June, the first visit by a Tanzanian leader in over five decades. The visit takes place following disputed elections in Tanzania in October 2025, deteriorating relations with the West, and during Russia's war with Ukraine.
A June 2 article in Tanzania's Taufa Daily titled "10 Reasons President Samia's Russia Visit Is a Major Win for Tanzania" goes to considerable lengths to justify the timing of the visit.
