Belt and Road Podcast
@beltandroadpod.bsky.social
Covering the latest news, research and analysis of China's growing presence in the developing world. https://beltandroadpod.buzzsprout.com/
#beltandroad #China #OBOR
#beltandroad #China #OBOR
Check out Ellen Li's great profile of the Saysetta SEZ near Vientiane, Laos! It built on my visit (@profjulietlu.bsky.social) w Tyler Harlan & Nicholas Bosoni. Thanks to @jessicadicarlo.bsky.social and @globalchinamap.bsky.social for support! @ellenlhl.bsky.social
thepeoplesmap.net/project/vien...
thepeoplesmap.net/project/vien...
Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone - The People's Map of Global China
The Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone (SDZ) is China’s only national-level overseas economic and trade cooperation zone in Laos. Established through a ‘land-for-funding’ arrangement, it was develop...
thepeoplesmap.net
December 4, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Check out Ellen Li's great profile of the Saysetta SEZ near Vientiane, Laos! It built on my visit (@profjulietlu.bsky.social) w Tyler Harlan & Nicholas Bosoni. Thanks to @jessicadicarlo.bsky.social and @globalchinamap.bsky.social for support! @ellenlhl.bsky.social
thepeoplesmap.net/project/vien...
thepeoplesmap.net/project/vien...
Reposted by Belt and Road Podcast
The new issue of Global China Pulse is now live! What does it mean to do fieldwork on Global China? This issue explores the methodological, ethical, and political challenges researchers face when studying China’s global presence from the ground up. Download here: globalchinapulse.net/download/glo...
August 1, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Belt and Road Podcast
China is one of Switzerland’s main trading partners. Anthropologist @lenakaufmann.bsky.social and historian Niklaus Remund analyse half a century of this commercial partnership in a study that is particularly topical in view of current trade wars.
👉 buff.ly/S1hJQrw
👉 buff.ly/S1hJQrw
September 30, 2025 at 7:30 AM
China is one of Switzerland’s main trading partners. Anthropologist @lenakaufmann.bsky.social and historian Niklaus Remund analyse half a century of this commercial partnership in a study that is particularly topical in view of current trade wars.
👉 buff.ly/S1hJQrw
👉 buff.ly/S1hJQrw
This promises to be fascinating - check out the whole special issue!
New #OpenAccess article “Science, Foreign Policy, and Corporate Global China” in Minerva @springernature.com
👉 doi.org/10.1007/s110...
Part of a special issue on Science, Foreign Policy & #China by @annalahlers.bsky.social @mpiwg.bsky.social
🙏 @snsf.ch @unifr.bsky.social @modomodo.bsky.social
👉 doi.org/10.1007/s110...
Part of a special issue on Science, Foreign Policy & #China by @annalahlers.bsky.social @mpiwg.bsky.social
🙏 @snsf.ch @unifr.bsky.social @modomodo.bsky.social
December 4, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This promises to be fascinating - check out the whole special issue!
Reposted by Belt and Road Podcast
Remember Jamal Khashoggi.
November 18, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Remember Jamal Khashoggi.
Is the Global Governance Initiative bringing China closer to multilateral norms and contributing to shared institutions or still keeping one foot in its own institutions?
It's early to reflect in depth on this but the debate is getting more interesting.
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
It's early to reflect in depth on this but the debate is getting more interesting.
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
British expert: Global Governance Initiative offers UN alignment
The Global Governance Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping aligns squarely with the United Nations Charter, said Keith Bennett, vice chair of Britain's 48 Group Club and co-editor of Fr...
news.cgtn.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Is the Global Governance Initiative bringing China closer to multilateral norms and contributing to shared institutions or still keeping one foot in its own institutions?
It's early to reflect in depth on this but the debate is getting more interesting.
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
It's early to reflect in depth on this but the debate is getting more interesting.
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
Reposted by Belt and Road Podcast
RMB debt swaps are gaining attention across Africa and Asia, but this isn’t a coordinated Chinese campaign. Countries like Ethiopia, Indonesia, Ghana, and Nigeria are exploring the option, yet each negotiation remains strictly case by case.
Watch - tinyurl.com/45wmhpt4
Watch - tinyurl.com/45wmhpt4
November 18, 2025 at 11:11 AM
RMB debt swaps are gaining attention across Africa and Asia, but this isn’t a coordinated Chinese campaign. Countries like Ethiopia, Indonesia, Ghana, and Nigeria are exploring the option, yet each negotiation remains strictly case by case.
Watch - tinyurl.com/45wmhpt4
Watch - tinyurl.com/45wmhpt4
Reposted by Belt and Road Podcast
Tsinghua’s Tang Xiaoyang argues China–Africa relations are shifting from big-ticket builds to integration: infrastructure-led localization, zero-tariff imports, trade-to-investment pipelines, and broader industrial ecosystems.
Africa and China Moving Towards Greater Economic Integration: Chinese Scholar
Following the go-go 2010s, when every week seemed to bring a new announcement of a headlining Chinese project in Africa, the 2020s are frequently framed as an era of cooling economic relations. This i...
chinaglobalsouth.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Tsinghua’s Tang Xiaoyang argues China–Africa relations are shifting from big-ticket builds to integration: infrastructure-led localization, zero-tariff imports, trade-to-investment pipelines, and broader industrial ecosystems.
Chinese copper and cobalt extraction in the DR Congo, Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM), has had a collapsed containment dam flood Lubumbashi
www.semafor.com/article/11/1...
www.semafor.com/article/11/1...
DR Congo suspends Chinese cobalt miner after chemical spill
Hundreds of Lubumbashi homes flooded with contaminated water in latest mining accident.
www.semafor.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Chinese copper and cobalt extraction in the DR Congo, Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM), has had a collapsed containment dam flood Lubumbashi
www.semafor.com/article/11/1...
www.semafor.com/article/11/1...
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has a new president! The previous present has had a long tenure at AIIB, but in the past, the bank has suffered from high turnover in its leadership ranks.
www.aiib.org/en/news-even...
www.aiib.org/en/news-even...
Zou Jiayi Elected as President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Madam Zou Jiayi has been elected as the next President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) by the Bank's Board of Governors.
www.aiib.org
June 27, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has a new president! The previous present has had a long tenure at AIIB, but in the past, the bank has suffered from high turnover in its leadership ranks.
www.aiib.org/en/news-even...
www.aiib.org/en/news-even...
A fascinating read from The Diplomat today about Nepal and the BRI!
thediplomat.com/2025/06/why-...
thediplomat.com/2025/06/why-...
Why Are BRI Projects in Nepal Stalled?
Geopolitics is at play. New Delhi does not want Nepal to be too close to Beijing and views BRI projects with suspicion.
thediplomat.com
June 24, 2025 at 6:16 PM
A fascinating read from The Diplomat today about Nepal and the BRI!
thediplomat.com/2025/06/why-...
thediplomat.com/2025/06/why-...
A short primer on China's expanding role in LATAM and Caribbean. One of our key takeaways was a "pledge to invite 300 political party officials from CELAC countries to Beijing annually—900 over three years," coinciding with national elections in the next 3 yrs. americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
How China Is Seeking Dominance in Latin America
Beijing’s five-pillar plan marks a new era in China-CELAC relations and more, an expert writes.
americasquarterly.org
June 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
A short primer on China's expanding role in LATAM and Caribbean. One of our key takeaways was a "pledge to invite 300 political party officials from CELAC countries to Beijing annually—900 over three years," coinciding with national elections in the next 3 yrs. americasquarterly.org/article/how-...
Reposted by Belt and Road Podcast
"China’s purpose was to stabilize the military junta and secure the conditions necessary for large-scale Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects to proceed."
When has supporting a military regime to protect overseas investments ever gone astray?
When has supporting a military regime to protect overseas investments ever gone astray?
China Pressuring Two Major Myanmar Armed Groups to Halt Offensives
Beijing continues to push for a political settlement that will allow strategic China-backed infrastructure projects to move forward.
thediplomat.com
June 4, 2025 at 10:32 AM
"China’s purpose was to stabilize the military junta and secure the conditions necessary for large-scale Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects to proceed."
When has supporting a military regime to protect overseas investments ever gone astray?
When has supporting a military regime to protect overseas investments ever gone astray?
Some intersting analysis of infrastructure within China’s borders.
China’s Gray-Zone Infrastructure Strategy on the Tibetan Plateau: Roads, Dams, and Digital Domination www.csis.org/analysis/chi...
China’s Gray-Zone Infrastructure Strategy on the Tibetan Plateau: Roads, Dams, and Digital Domination
China is weaponizing infrastructure—dams, roads, railways, and digital—to reshape the Tibetan Plateau and coerce neighbors like India and Nepal. This report analyzes how China’s infrastructure develop...
www.csis.org
June 6, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Some intersting analysis of infrastructure within China’s borders.
The Lowy institute's Peak Repayment: China’s Global Lending report details how China has become a debt collector in recent years. One of the most interesting questions to us that was explored in the report is, why now? What is it about the 2020s that primed China to collect? 🧵
May 28, 2025 at 3:48 PM
The Lowy institute's Peak Repayment: China’s Global Lending report details how China has become a debt collector in recent years. One of the most interesting questions to us that was explored in the report is, why now? What is it about the 2020s that primed China to collect? 🧵
Saudi Arabia's Islamic Development Bank has agreed to finance $800m of Uganda's est. $3bn SGR railway. The railway is aimed to connect the landlocked country to Kenya's mostly China-financed and built Nairobi-Mombasa SGR.
constructionreviewonline.com/news/ugandas...
constructionreviewonline.com/news/ugandas...
Uganda's SGR Project Inks $800 Million Financing Deal with Saudi Arabia
In what will be a major boost in infrastructural development, the East African nation Uganda has just signed a $800 million financing agreement with Islamic Development Bank. The funding will be utili...
constructionreviewonline.com
May 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Saudi Arabia's Islamic Development Bank has agreed to finance $800m of Uganda's est. $3bn SGR railway. The railway is aimed to connect the landlocked country to Kenya's mostly China-financed and built Nairobi-Mombasa SGR.
constructionreviewonline.com/news/ugandas...
constructionreviewonline.com/news/ugandas...
MOFCOM is supporting a 2-month training for forestry managers from Solomon Islands to learn (China's) best practices for forest production, sustainability & to develop a regulatory framework that promotes a 'balance' between logging/non-logging activities
woodcentral.com.au/beijing-is-u...
woodcentral.com.au/beijing-is-u...
Beijing is Using Timber to Build a Belt and Road in the Solomons
China is using forestry, bamboo, and high-value timber processing to strengthen ties with the Solomon Islands—the latest example of Belt and Road timber, fore
woodcentral.com.au
May 24, 2025 at 9:32 PM
MOFCOM is supporting a 2-month training for forestry managers from Solomon Islands to learn (China's) best practices for forest production, sustainability & to develop a regulatory framework that promotes a 'balance' between logging/non-logging activities
woodcentral.com.au/beijing-is-u...
woodcentral.com.au/beijing-is-u...
China leads mediation for Pakistan - Afghanistan talks to restore diplomatic relations
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/...
Pakistan, Afghanistan move towards ‘restoring ties’ in talks with China
As India strengthens ties with Kabul, Pakistan and Afghanistan return to the table after Chinese mediation.
www.aljazeera.com
May 23, 2025 at 4:42 PM
China leads mediation for Pakistan - Afghanistan talks to restore diplomatic relations
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/...
Here's by far the most in-depth article we've read so far:
emergingmarketwatch.com/browser#/art...
A brief thread on some key points 🧵
emergingmarketwatch.com/browser#/art...
A brief thread on some key points 🧵
EmergingMarketWatch
emergingmarketwatch.com
May 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Here's by far the most in-depth article we've read so far:
emergingmarketwatch.com/browser#/art...
A brief thread on some key points 🧵
emergingmarketwatch.com/browser#/art...
A brief thread on some key points 🧵
Colombia has officially signed onto the Belt and Road Initiative! In her post on X afterwards, Minister of Foreign Affairs Laura Sarabia said: "We have taken the most daring step in decades...There is no turning back: Colombia is open--with determination--to the world".
A momentous moment for LATAM.
A momentous moment for LATAM.
May 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Colombia has officially signed onto the Belt and Road Initiative! In her post on X afterwards, Minister of Foreign Affairs Laura Sarabia said: "We have taken the most daring step in decades...There is no turning back: Colombia is open--with determination--to the world".
A momentous moment for LATAM.
A momentous moment for LATAM.
No new updates on Colombia joining the BRI. All that’s clear right now is President Petro is preparing to head to China and is expected to sign. We’ll keep you in the loop!
May 9, 2025 at 8:11 PM
No new updates on Colombia joining the BRI. All that’s clear right now is President Petro is preparing to head to China and is expected to sign. We’ll keep you in the loop!
April saw China's exports to BRI countries grow dramatically on a y2y level
ASEAN, up 20.8% y/y
Africa, up 25.3%
Latin America, up 17.3%
The EU, up 8.3%
(ASEAN was probably a decent amount of new passthrough to get around US tariff)
triviumchina.com/2025/05/09/c...
ASEAN, up 20.8% y/y
Africa, up 25.3%
Latin America, up 17.3%
The EU, up 8.3%
(ASEAN was probably a decent amount of new passthrough to get around US tariff)
triviumchina.com/2025/05/09/c...
China’s April exports surge despite trade war – Trivium China
triviumchina.com
May 9, 2025 at 2:49 PM
April saw China's exports to BRI countries grow dramatically on a y2y level
ASEAN, up 20.8% y/y
Africa, up 25.3%
Latin America, up 17.3%
The EU, up 8.3%
(ASEAN was probably a decent amount of new passthrough to get around US tariff)
triviumchina.com/2025/05/09/c...
ASEAN, up 20.8% y/y
Africa, up 25.3%
Latin America, up 17.3%
The EU, up 8.3%
(ASEAN was probably a decent amount of new passthrough to get around US tariff)
triviumchina.com/2025/05/09/c...
🚨 Colombia to join the BRI! 🇨🇴🇨🇳
President Petro is reportedly set to visit China this week and has indicated that he will sign a letter of intent to join the BRI. Surely this will be a win for Chinese policymakers in a battle against the US for global influence.
President Petro is reportedly set to visit China this week and has indicated that he will sign a letter of intent to join the BRI. Surely this will be a win for Chinese policymakers in a battle against the US for global influence.
May 7, 2025 at 3:37 PM
🚨 Colombia to join the BRI! 🇨🇴🇨🇳
President Petro is reportedly set to visit China this week and has indicated that he will sign a letter of intent to join the BRI. Surely this will be a win for Chinese policymakers in a battle against the US for global influence.
President Petro is reportedly set to visit China this week and has indicated that he will sign a letter of intent to join the BRI. Surely this will be a win for Chinese policymakers in a battle against the US for global influence.
A US-based investment firm -- (partially headed by former Trump appointed ambassador to Kenya) is planning to be the main investors into the $3.4bn Nairobi-Mombasa toll-expressway. The project would be a competitor (compliment?) to China-backed SGR.
constructionreviewonline.com/news/usahihi...
constructionreviewonline.com/news/usahihi...
Usahihi Expressway Construction to Commence Next Year, Africa’s Largest Toll Road Project
The US-based infrastructure investment firm Everstrong Capital has just made an announcement of planning to commence the construction of Nairobi-Mombasa Usahihi Expressway next year.
constructionreviewonline.com
May 7, 2025 at 3:09 PM
A US-based investment firm -- (partially headed by former Trump appointed ambassador to Kenya) is planning to be the main investors into the $3.4bn Nairobi-Mombasa toll-expressway. The project would be a competitor (compliment?) to China-backed SGR.
constructionreviewonline.com/news/usahihi...
constructionreviewonline.com/news/usahihi...
On Apr 24, China and Kenya reported their new, upgraded ties as both countries' leaders work to build a China-Africa Community. A thread on Chinese-Kenyan relations, from a BRI perspective.
A thread 🧵
A thread 🧵
China, Kenya upgrade ties amid 'turbulent international situation'
China and Kenya announced they had upgraded ties to a "new level" on Thursday during a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Kenyan President William Ruto in Beijing, as they both pledged to create an "all weather" China-Africa community.
www.reuters.com
April 29, 2025 at 11:13 PM
On Apr 24, China and Kenya reported their new, upgraded ties as both countries' leaders work to build a China-Africa Community. A thread on Chinese-Kenyan relations, from a BRI perspective.
A thread 🧵
A thread 🧵