Impact of Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Africa and Southeast Asia

 The South African Institute of International Affairs just released a major report dated May 2023 titled "Comparing Environmental, Social and Governance Impacts of Chinese-led Infrastructure Projects in Africa and Southeast Asia" by Cobus van Staden and others.  

The report provides cross-cutting perspectives on environmental, social, and governance aspects of Chinese-led infrastructure projects in Africa and Southeast Asia.  It identifies the following areas of concern: tender and environmental impact assessment processes; land acquisition, community relocation processes and livelihood disruptions; debt transparency and problematic financial governance; inter-authority conflict and local governance issues in recipient countries; and planning for long-term economic viability and job creation.  

Comparing Chinese-led Infrastructure Projects in Africa and Southeast Asia

 The South African Institute of International Affairs published in November 2022 a policy brief titled "Future Proofing Africa-China Infrastructure Cooperation" by Laura Rubidge and Cobus Van Staden.  

This policy brief provides a multi-sector comparison between African and Southeast Asian experiences of environmental socioeconomic and governance implementation in Chinese-led infrastructure projects.  It highlights recurring challenges and proposes concrete recommendations to mitigate these challenges in the future.  

US-China Rivalry in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia

 Merics published on 24 March 2022 a study titled "Growing US-China Rivalry in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia: Implications for EU" by Matt Ferchen.

The author concluded that of the three regions, Africa has provided the best fit for and been most receptive to China's development focused economic diplomacy.  In part this is because Chinese officials have worked assiduously to build on Mao-era legacies of post-colonial, Third World leadership and solidarity in the region.  

While China's comprehensive commercial and diplomatic presence in Africa has made it an important actor in the region and the United States has deepened its engagement there, Europe's position remains strong. 

Chinese Forest-risk Financing

 The Rainforest Action Network commissioned a report titled "Chinese Banks' Forest-risk Financing: Financial Flows and Client Risks."

The report provides an overview of the financing of forest-risk companies engaged in six deforestation-risk commodities in Brazil, Central and West Africa, and Southeast Asia by Chinese financial institutions, which are the second largest financiers of forest-risk companies covered by the database.  Between January 2016 and April 2020, Chinese financial institutions provided about $15 billion in forest-risk loans and underwriting services.  Central and West Africa accounted for $2.8 billion of this total, mainly for rubber and timber.  

Impact of COVID-19 on Belt and Road Initiative

The World Economic Forum published on 4 May 2020 an analysis titled "How Will COVID-19 Affect China's Belt and Road Initiative?" by Bee Chun Boo and Martin David at Baker & McKenzie LLP and Ben Simpfendorfer at Silk Road Associates. 

Since 2018, Chinese companies have refocused their efforts on the larger markets of Southeast Asia, where supply chain linkages with China are strong and investment returns more predictable.  COVID-19 will supercharge this trend.  Central Asia, Sub-Sahara Africa, and Eastern Europe will see a short-term dip in Belt and Road Initiative related activity, relative to Southeast Asia.

China's Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for Security Policy

The Diplomat published on 17 October 2016 an analysis titled "Is the Belt and Road Initiative Globalizing China's National Security Policy?" by Sabine Mokry, research associate at the Mercator Institute for China Studies.

Although the analysis is focused on Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, it also has implications for Africa. The author concludes that China's One Belt, One Road has important long-term internal effects on the development of China's global security posture. It helps to channel and focus domestic security debates by providing a reference point and creating a context for concrete policy actions.

Somalia: Good News on Piracy

The New York Times published on 17 September 2016 an article titled "Southeast Asia Replaces Africa as the World's Hotbed of Piracy" by Joe Cochrane.

The article reports that in 2015 there were 178 pirate attacks in Southeast Asia and NONE in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea Region near Somalia. When it comes to good news, it is not often that we can celebrate Somalia. This is a case where major progress has been made.

An analysis of Chinese media support in Africa

The Center for International Media Assistance and the National Endowment for Democracy published a useful analysis of Chinese media support for institutions in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia titled "Winds from the East: How the People’s Republic of China Seeks to Influence the Media in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia."

Dated Sept. 8, 2010, the authors are Douglas Farah, president of IBI Consultants and a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in Alexandria, Virginia, and Andy Mosher, a consultant with the Center for International Media Assistance and former foreign editor with the Washington Post.

The authors conclude that as part of China’s expansion into significant acquisitions of oil and minerals in Africa and Latin America and its search for business acumen, technology and markets in Southeast Asia, China has made media influence a high priority.

China is pursuing this program by:

• Direct Chinese government aid to state-run media in the form of radio transmitters and financing for national satellites.
• The provision of content and technologies to allies and potential allies that are often cash strapped.
• Memorandums of understanding on the sharing of news.
• Training programs and expense-paid trips to China for journalists.
• A significant, possibly multi-billion dollar expansion of the PRC’s own media on the world stage, primarily through Xinhua news agency, satellite and Internet TV channels controlled by Xinhua and state-run television services.