Category: Economic Relations

China’s Tie-up with Africa Needs Fundamental Acceptance by Africans


China’s ties to Africa are likely to get stronger this year, as the world’s biggest economy appears poised to once again, double its investments across the fast-growing continent.

The run-up to the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) early next month in South Africa is under way. The forum – in its 15th year and the first held under President Xi Jinping’s administration – has been the main venue for setting the investment, trade and integration agenda between China and countries in Africa.

New Leaders, New Summit, New Goals


On 1 November 2015, the leaders of East Asia’s three main powers gathered together to hold the sixth Republic of Korea–China–Japan (KCJ) Trilateral Summit in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Is Russia or China Less Interested in the Other?


There has been a lot made about Russia’s ‘sudden’ pivot to the Asia Pacific, but is it all much ado about nothing? In the context of the US rebalance to Asia and heightened rhetoric over Ukraine, the policy is not so much a pivot to the Asia Pacific as intensifying Sinocentrism in Russia’s Asia policy.

Manila Looks for a Favorable Ruling from UNCLOS


On 29 October 2015, a United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Tribunal issued the highly awaited Award on Jurisdiction and Admissibility in the Philippines–China arbitration case. The interim award sets up a climactic final ruling in 2016.

Can Beijing and Taipei Get Along?


The historic meeting in Singapore between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart, Ma Ying-jeou, on 7 November was the first ever between the leaders of the two countries. With the next Taiwanese presidential elections only two months away, the meeting was seen by many observers as a last-minute attempt by the Chinese government to persuade the Taiwanese electorate that the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) remains the best choice for dealing with Beijing.

Indonesia’s Jokowi Comes to the US Looking for Investment


Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was in Washington DC recently for his first-ever presidential visit to the United States. What can the two countries do now to build on the momentum for cooperation gained on the trip?

The UK Rolls Out the Red Carpet for India’s Modi


Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, is in the UK from November 12 for a three-day visit. There is pressure on both India and the UK to sign a package of business deals to mark the occasion.

Diplomatic business. Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire/Press Association Images

The UK Going its Own Way with China


The lavish welcome laid on for Chinese President Xi Jinping in the United Kingdom in October 2015 provoked a surprising amount of criticism in the British and international press. Journalists talked of Prime Minister Cameron and Finance Minister Osborne’s ‘kowtow’, called it a national humiliation, and reported — or perhaps speculated on — ire from the US administration.

The FTAAP will be a Hot Topic at APEC


Most of what APEC will achieve in 2015 has already been achieved. The Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the Philippines on 18–19 November 2015 will endorse agreed upon measures. Leaders will talk — in various groupings — about whatever else interests them.

Spillover Effects from China’s Relationship with Japan


Sino–Japanese relations have not yet escaped from their most difficult period since the normalisation of diplomatic relations. Historical and territorial issues mean that mutual perceptions between these two Asian powers are still in the doldrums. In the context of a shifting balance of power and disagreement over specific regional issues, some Sino–Japanese competition seems inevitable. However, how will this affect the region?