The China-Global South Podcast

By The China-Global South Project

A weekly discussion on Chinese engagement in the developing world from the news team of The China-Global South Project (CGSP). Join hosts Eric Olander in Vietnam and Cobus van Staden in South Africa f... more

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Number 1: Is China Decolonizing African Media or Expanding Its Influence?
China's influence in Africa's media landscape increasingly operates through content-sharing agreements, journalist training, paid placements, and support for local broadcasters. These "below-the-line" strategies give Chinese narratives a pathway into African newsrooms that extends well beyond the reach of traditional state outlets such as CGTN and Xinhua. But the push for greater Chinese influence raises a deeper question about decolonization. While Beijing presents its media engagement as an alternative to Western dominance, African journalists can be exposed to models of reporting that do not necessarily fit local political and social realities. At the same time, the shift toward social media makes the actual impact of these efforts increasingly difficult to measure. Emeka Umejei, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, joins Eric and Cobus to discuss the arguments from his book China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization, content-sharing agreements, journalist training, and the future of African media independence. Show Notes China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization by Emeka Umejei 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode China's evolving media influence across Africa The rise of content-sharing agreements with African news outlets Journalist training, media exchanges, and the spread of Chinese reporting models The tension between China's "decolonization" narrative and African media independence How Chinese economic engagement strengthens its media influence The shift toward social media and the uncertain impact of foreign media campaigns on African audiences Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @stadenesque I @emekaumejei Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: chinaglobalsouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas
September 04, 202655min
Number 2: How China Is Viewed Around the World
Public opinion toward China is improving across much of the world, especially in emerging economies across Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia. At the same time, perceptions of the United States have weakened, particularly around its reliability and contribution to global peace and stability. Younger people are especially likely to view China positively, shaped increasingly by technology, consumer brands, social media, and infrastructure rather than Cold War-era narratives. But attitudes toward China and the U.S. are not necessarily zero-sum. Laura Silver, an associate director at the Pew Research Center, joins Eric to unpack the Pew Research Center's polling findings on how China is viewed around the world, why China's image is improving, what is driving support among younger people and in the Global South, and what the numbers reveal about shifting perceptions of the world's two largest powers. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode: 🌍 Why global views of China are improving 📊 What Pew's 37-country survey reveals about China 👥 Why younger people view China more favorably 🇺🇸 Declining confidence in the United States globally 📱 How Chinese technology and consumer brands shape perceptions ⚖️ Why U.S.-China public opinion is not zero-sum Show Notes: Pew Research Center: Views of China and Xi Are Improving Globally by Laura Silver, Jonathan Schulman, Laura Clancy and William Miner Afrobarometer: African insights 2026: Beyond borders: Citizen perspectives on a shifting global order Foreign Affairs: How China Is Winning Friends and Influencing People by Eric Olander and Lizzi Lee Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @pewresearch I @stadenesque Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas
August 28, 202638min
Number 3: China's BRI Is Bigger Than Ever. It Just Looks Very Different
After the pandemic, as Chinese state-backed lending to developing countries largely dried up, critics declared the Belt and Road Initiative effectively dead. They were wrong. This year, China's financial engagement with BRI countries reached another record, driven by larger deals, private companies, green energy, and a growing focus on industrial development. Chinese firms are increasingly investing in processing, manufacturing, batteries, and other higher-value activities rather than focusing primarily on infrastructure and resource extraction. According to the latest data from the Green Finance & Development Center, BRI engagement reached its highest level for any first six months since the initiative launched in 2013. Christoph Nedopil, lead author of the report and a professor at the University of Queensland, joins Eric to discuss how the BRI is evolving, including changes in how projects are financed, where capital is deployed, and which industries are attracting Chinese investment. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode 🌏 Record-breaking BRI engagement 💰 New financing models 🏗️ Return of mega-deals ⚡ Green energy expansion ⛏️ Shift from extraction to processing 🌍 Africa's BRI surge Show Notes: Green Development Finance Center: China's investment and construction engagement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 2026 H1 Financial Times: China pours funding into green energy deals as Iran war hits oil demand by Edward White Semafor: Chinese investments in Africa soar to $34 billion so far this year by Yinka Adegoke Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas
August 20, 202633min
Number 4: The Iran War Is Reshaping the Persian Gulf. What Does China Do Now?
The war in Iran is reshaping the strategic landscape of the Persian Gulf, putting new pressure on China's relations with Iran and the Gulf Arab states. Beijing's response is exposing the tension between its deep economic interests in the region and its reluctance to assume a larger role in regional security. Andrea Ghiselli, a lecturer at the University of Exeter, and Aaron Glasserman, a distinguished fellow at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, join Eric to discuss their latest article in Foreign Affairs on why China will remain an influential economic actor in the region with only marginal geopolitical influence. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode ⚔️ How the Iran War Is Reshaping the Persian Gulf 🇨🇳 China's Strategic Interests in Iran and the Gulf 🛡️ Why Beijing Is Reluctant to Take on a Larger Security Role 🇮🇷 The Limits of China's Influence Over Tehran 🌍 How Gulf States Are Reassessing Their Relationship With China ⚖️ The Gap Between China's Economic Power and Security Responsibilities Show Notes: Foreign Affairs: The Gulf's China Problem by Mohammed Alsudairi, Andrea Ghiselli, and Aaron Glasserman Reuters: Can China restrain Iran? Gulf states test Beijing's influence by Samia Nakhoul and Timour Azhari The Diplomat: The Iran-US War a Win for China? Not So Fast. by Wang Jin Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas
August 18, 202634min
Number 5: How China Uses Space to Build Influence in the Mideast
China is expanding its space partnerships across the Middle East through satellites, navigation systems, technology transfer, and other forms of cooperation. Beijing tailors these partnerships to individual countries, while governments such as Egypt, Iran, and the UAE use Chinese cooperation to pursue their own technological and strategic interests. A new report in the Texas National Security Review, Choosing Orbits: China's Space Diplomacy in the Middle East, explores how regional agency, technological competition, and the broader U.S.-China rivalry are increasingly intersecting in space. Two of the article's authors, Lawrence Rubin, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Lincoln Hines, an associate professor at Georgia Tech, join Eric to discuss how space is the new frontier in China's soft power diplomacy. 📌 Topics Covered in This Episode 🛰️ China's expanding space partnerships across the Middle East 🌍 Space diplomacy as a tool of Chinese influence 🇪🇬 Egypt's growing space and technology cooperation with China 🇦🇪 How the UAE balances China and the United States ⚔️ Dual-use satellites and the security implications of space technology 🇺🇸🇨🇳 U.S.-China competition over the future of space Show Notes: Texas National Security Review: Choosing Orbits: China's Space Diplomacy in the Middle East by Lawrence Rubin, Lincoln Hines & Dayana Alagirova South China Morning Post: For China and the Middle East, a Space Silk Road is written in the stars by Yang Xiaotong The Washington Institute for Near East Policy: China's Push for Satellite Cooperation in the Middle East by Henry Tugendhat Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas
August 13, 202642min