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The China-Global South Podcast

The China-Global South Podcast

Auteur(s): The China-Global South Project
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À propos de cet audio

 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 for insightful interviews with scholars, analysts, and journalists from around the world. You'll also get regular updates from CGSP's editors in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.2023 Politique Sciences politiques
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  • The New Dilemma for Middle Powers Caught Between the U.S. and China

    The New Dilemma for Middle Powers Caught Between the U.S. and China
    Dec 10 2025

    In this episode of the China Global South Podcast, Eric Olander and Cobus van Staden unpack a major question facing middle powers everywhere: What happens when the global security architecture you relied on for decades no longer exists?

    Fresh from meetings at Australian National University and the Australasian Aid Conference, Eric shares conversations with scholars, diplomats, and policymakers in Canberra who are wrestling with a new geopolitical reality. Topics include:

    Eric and Cobus also break down China's push to promote its Global Security Initiative at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the limitations of the UN system, and why both Western and Chinese security narratives fail to address Africa's real on-the-ground security challenges.

    📌 Key topics in this episode:

    • The U.S.–China rivalry and why middle powers feel trapped
    • Australia's dilemma: China is the biggest customer AND biggest security concern
    • Why the Pacific Islands have become a frontline of strategic contestation
    • Joint patrols in the South China Sea and shifting regional alliances
    • Whether the Five Eyes model still works in a world where U.S. power is unpredictable
    • How Japan, South Korea, and Canada are rethinking security and trade
    • Why "rules-based order" no longer resonates across the Global South
    • China's Global Security Initiative (GSI) and what it actually means for Africa
    • Why many countries fear mass migration more than great-power conflict
    • Why middle powers still lack a clear, forward-looking vision

    JOIN THE DISCUSSION:

    X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth

    Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social

    FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH & SPANISH:

    • French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
    • Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

    JOIN US ON PATREON!
    Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    42 min
  • How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build Influence in Africa

    How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build Influence in Africa
    Nov 25 2025

    China has funded, designed, and built more than 200 government buildings across Africa, including the headquarters of the African Union and Ecowas, foreign ministry annexes in Ghana and Kenya, and at least 15 national parliaments.

    Eric and Cobus speak with Innocent Batsani-Ncube, an associate professor of African politics at Queen Mary University of London and author of the new book China and African Parliaments.

    Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Lesotho, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, Batsani-Ncube explains how China's parliamentary construction boom works, why African governments welcome it, and what he calls "subtle power"—a form of elite-level influence that sits between soft and sharp power.

    📌 Key topics in this episode:

    • Why China builds African parliamentary buildings — and why African governments accept them
    • "Subtle power" vs. soft power vs. sharp power
    • The politics behind construction, design, and land selection
    • How these buildings shape legislative capacity and political identity
    • Case studies: Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Congo-Brazzaville
    • Does this compromise sovereignty? Or strengthen parliaments?
    • Are these buildings really vectors for Chinese espionage?

    📘 Purchase China and African Parliaments by Innocent Batsani-Ncube on Amazon

    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 & SPANISH:

    • French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
    • Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

    JOIN US ON PATREON!
    Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
    Voir plus Voir moins
    42 min
  • Is China's "Engineering State" the New Development Model for the Global South?

    Is China's "Engineering State" the New Development Model for the Global South?
    Nov 14 2025
    China's rapid ascent from rural poverty to industrial superpower reshaped the global economy and established a new center of gravity for manufacturing. Today, Chinese factories anchor much of the world's supply chains, producing goods at a speed and scale that few countries can match. Behind this transformation is a system that author Dan Wang describes in his new book "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future" as the "engineering state," a model defined by massive investments in infrastructure, strategic planning, and so-called "process knowledge" gleaned from the country's rapid industrial development. Now, more and more, the Chinese government touts this development model as an example for other countries in the Global South to emulate. Dan joins Eric to discuss whether the so-called "engineering state" is replicable elsewhere or if it's a uniquely Chinese phenomenon. CHAPTERS: • Setting the Stage – China's rise from rural poverty to industrial superpower • The Engineering State – How China builds, plans, and organizes at a massive scale • Roots of the Model – East Asian development traditions and Soviet legacies • Infrastructure as Strategy – High-speed rail, bridges, airports, and the costs behind them • Industrial Capacity – Manufacturing clusters, supply chains, and process knowledge • The Speed Advantage – Why Chinese firms move faster than global competitors • Tech Transfer Debates – Joint ventures, old IP, and myths about forced transfers • Subsidies and Support – What Chinese industrial subsidies do—and what they don't • Exporting the Model – Limits of replication in Africa, Asia, and the Global South • The China Price – How scale, logistics, and workforce learning lock in dominance • Internal Tensions – Debt, underused infrastructure, and diminishing returns • Shifting Priorities – Xi's push away from consumer tech and toward strategic industries • Global Backlash – Overcapacity, trade pushback, and rising protectionism • Future Crossroads – Why China's development engine is losing momentum • Lessons for the Global South – What countries can adapt—and what they must avoid 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 & SPANISH: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineSpanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
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    41 min
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