Economy

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala speaks at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Switzerland in January. (Photo courtesy of the World Economic Forum)
Trade

US blocks African candidate for WTO chief with eye on China

American support for South Korean minister poses headache for Japan

29 October 2020
A cleanup crew works at the site of an oil spill at Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, on Aug. 8: as long as ships are powered by oil, there will be spills.
Opinion

Japan must use Mauritius oil spill to wean ships off fossil fuels

Japan owns ships worth a collective $92 billion and hosts over 1,000 shipyards

25 August 2020
Eight candidates are running to fill the top job at the World Trade Organization.
Interview

Good listener or strong negotiator? WTO candidates make case for top job

Nigeria's Okonjo-Iweala and Mexico's Seade have different prescriptions for US-China rift

13 July 2020
Stream article image
International relations

WTO leadership race emerges as newest arena for US-China rivalry

African and Mexican candidates in spotlight as trade group looks for consensus

10 July 2020
Staff at INHS Asvini, an Indian navy hospital in Mumbai, attended a ceremony in early May to honor frontline health care workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 
International relations

India sends hydroxychloroquine to Africa in war on coronavirus

Aid initiative to fill pandemic leadership failings of China and the US

18 May 2020
Pakistan has plans to create a smart city in Gwadar Port, a major part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Belt and Road

Pakistan request opens door for Belt and Road project debt relief

COVID-19 economic hit gives China little choice but to help cash-strapped allies

11 May 2020
A Chinese worker talks to his colleague at an oil production facility in Sudan in December 2010: China's foray into Africa coincided with the peak of the commodity supercycle.
Opinion

China's expensive bet on Africa has failed

Coronavirus crash in commodity prices has wasted $200 billion in investment and loans

1 May 2020
The Standard Gauge Railway cargo train, pictured in May 2017, rides from the port containers depot on a Chinese-backed railway opened by Kenya's president in Mombasa: BRI is gaining speed throughout Africa.
Opinion

China expands influence in Africa as US plays catch-up

Beijing is combining military, economic and diplomatic efforts to boost its reach

20 February 2020
The JCER predicts India will become the world's third-largest economy by 2060 as its service sector expands.
Economy

China and India to make up one-third of global GDP in 2060: JCER

Emerging giants forecast to approach US and Europe's combined economic might

25 January 2020
The debt-addicted U.S. federal government has a co-dependent -- global investors in a near zero-interest-rate reality.
Datawatch

Yield-hungry Asian investors bankroll US spending binge

Appetite for Treasurys remains firm as yields slip to bottom elsewhere

19 January 2020
With capacity growing in 2020, Tangier's container port will be among largest in Africa.
Companies

Europe's Mexico? Sumitomo props Morocco in post-Brexit world

Trading house aims to lure Japanese manufacturers to five industrial parks

9 November 2019
The central train station in Amsterdam: the Netherlands is one of the world's top destinations for "phantom" direct investment, a new study finds.
Economy

Tax avoidance drives nearly 40% of global FDI: report

'Phantom' investment flows into Netherlands, Luxembourg and other tax havens

10 September 2019
Aboubaker Omar Hadi, chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority, speaks at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development on Aug. 29 in Yokohama. (Photo by Akane Okutsu)
Belt and Road

Djibouti has 'no choice' but China for infrastructure development

East African country hungry for other investors, says port authority head

29 August 2019
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (left) is Board Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Nana Akufo-Addo (right) is President of the Republic of Ghana.
Opinion

Japan Inc should invest in Africa, healthier and wealthier than ever

Companies are punching below their weight and missing opportunities

29 August 2019
Thailand's successive governments have focused on improving health infrastructures.
Opinion

World must work together to bring universal health coverage by 2030

Countries need to match good will with money, strategy and follow-through

28 August 2019
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends the sixth Tokyo Conference on African Development, held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in August 2016.
International relations

Japan urges African startup tie-ups in Belt and Road countermove

Tokyo seeks corporate help at conference as China pours billions into continent

27 August 2019
People walk in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The African Union is a $2.5 trillion economy that is continuing to grow. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Economy

Japan's one-stop shop for Africa projects aims to match China

Permanent public-private council will cordinate investment in world's 'last frontier'

7 March 2019
Angola relies heavily on oil exports and needs to upgrade its ports.
Economy

Japan edges in on Belt and Road with $643m for Angolan port

Trading house Toyota Tsusho and export credit agency JBIC team up on project

9 January 2019
Chinese residing in Ghana may be making off with the country's gold.
Economy

Ghana leader fears Chinese are illegally mining gold

West African nation to investigate 'suspicious activity' in rare metal markets

6 January 2019
Angola's President Joao Lourenco and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands before their bilateral meeting in Beijing in September.
Economy

Angola looks beyond China for aid and investment

Technology transfer and diversifying economy are key, says energy minister

15 December 2018
A train operating on a standard gauge railway line constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation and financed by the Chinese government arrives at the Nairobi Terminus on the outskirts of Kenya's capital.
Trade war

US-China rivalry poised for expansion in Africa

Face-off could boost state-backed lending in $120bn infrastructure financing market

3 December 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, have both been courting the government of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, center.
Economy

China and India stage investment showdown in Rwanda

Xi and Modi come bearing billions, making country a strategic priority

24 November 2018
Officers at a police station in Gifu Prefecture on May 21 examine an elephant tusk that was confiscated after being traded illegally via a flea market app. 
Economy

Japan a weak link in international ivory trade ban

Domestically available items are smuggled to China, where demand is strong

12 October 2018
At the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, attended by leaders from 53 African nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to offer $60 billion in economic support to the continent over the next three years.
Belt and Road

Beijing insists its generosity over Belt and Road is genuine

President Xi points to international contribution as others call it 'debt trap'

9 September 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers the keynote speech at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing on September 3. 
Trade war

China turns to Africa to mitigate impact of US trade war

Beijing summit ends with promise of cooperation on business and security

5 September 2018