This month, China's leader embarks on his fourth tour of Africa. The itinerary - Mali, Mauritius, Senegal and Tanzania - shows the range of relationships built up under...

As China's President Hu Jintao tours Africa this month, his Taiwanese counterpart will be conspicuously absent. Ma Ying-jeou has been trying to cool the diplomatic competition with Beijing.

Japan chairs the United Nations Security Council in February. Its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC began 1 January. Taking the chair, Japan's Ambassador Yukio Takasu presented clocks...

India wants to catch up fast with China's still booming economic diplomacy in Africa and at January's India-Africa Business Partnership Forum, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee called for greater engagement and...

Like every other major economy, China is reassessing its priorities, and worrying about unemployment and falling market demand. Beijing's policymakers will therefore concentrate more on domestic economic growth...

The Beijing-Accra axis, which dates back to the heady Independence days of President Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana, is an important one for both sides. Beijing wants a strong economic relationship with Ghana...

Over the next five years, New Delhi expects India's trade with Africa to reach US$100 billion - despite the global economic slowdown. In an upbeat analysis of relations with Africa,...

Tokyo's promises to double aid to Africa by 2012 are being tested by international financial pressure on Japan's already feeble economy - and by domestic political troubles. Prime Minister Taro Aso...

Most of the impetus for Japanese companies in Africa will be coming from state agencies. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency wants to test its newly expanded powers and wider funding base,...

Cambodia's diplomatic reach in Africa is extremely limited but its rice exports are expanding fast despite questions about their quality. With a record surplus of over 2.8 million tonnes in 2008,...