When Premier Yukio Hatoyama and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) came to power in September 2009 promising to focus on domestic issues and budget cutting, African countries feared that...

The year 2009 was one of broken promises. China declared repeatedly that its relations with Africa would not be affected by the global financial crisis (AAC Vol 2...

Debate within China has been raging for some time over the solution to the problem of slumping exports. One of the more controversial ideas that has been floated is a...

India’s push for more trade and access to African mineral resources in 2010 will be made with one eye focused on Beijing. Indian diplomats and businessmen are trying...

Africa is almost off Taiwan’s diplomatic radar. In contrast to the attention lavished by Chinese leaders on countries across the continent, Taiwan’s relations with its four African allies remain low key,...

Fears of an aggressive Chinese military build-up surfaced again after a People’s Liberation Army Navy Admiral advocated the establishment of an overseas base to fight Somali pirates in...

Indian Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari began 2010 with a seven-day trip to Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. Ties abound between India and the three countries: Vedanta is the largest...

Under President Lee Myung-bak, South Korea is devoting more attention to Africa. In 2009, Lee pledged to double aid to Africa to US$200 million. Shortly after, Seoul hosted...

As he responds to the fiery criticism of opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael ‘King Cobra’ Sata, Li Qiangmin is more outspoken than most Chinese diplomats, staunchly defending his...

The US$2.68 billion China Union plan to revitalise Liberia's Bong Mines has not taken off, almost a year after it was first signed. Initial concerns about the little-known Chinese mining company's...