First Independent Mena Newspaper
African countries have called on China, Africa’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, to shift the focus of the economic relationship from building infrastructure on the continent to supporting local industrialization. With China’ trade with Africa having surged in 2022 by 14.8% year-on-year to reach $282 billion, the Asian powerhouse has been Africa’s largest […]
Japan has secured deals with five African countries in a move aimed at mitigating Tokyo’s reliance on China for critical minerals, which comes as strategic competition between Western allies and China for access to key raw materials used in high-tech industry heats up. Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, accompanied by Ichiro Takahara, […]
Benin’s President Patrice Talon is expected in China next Tuesday August 29 for talks with the Chinese top leader Xi Jinping, local medias report. The visit will highlight by the holding of an economic summit. The visit comes seven months after both countries signed in January 2023 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on partial debt […]
Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has argued that Françafrique is over after France lost Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger where leaders have turned to Russia, China and Turkey. Kneissl, who had been in office from 2017 to 2019, said African countries have more opportunities on the continent and can choose whom to cooperate with. […]
With China’s Central Bank making Tuesday (15 August) its largest interest-rate cut since the pandemic and news that its economy has fallen into deflation, the implications of this economic instability in China could have repercussions for Africa, experts warn. China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Tuesday (15 August) it would stop releasing youth unemployment […]
A BRICS currency replacing U.S dollar is a ‘ridiculous’ idea, says the top economist who named the group — especially in light of the fact that China and India are not able to even agree on BRICS membership expansion that will shape the organization’s future. The BRICS group has revealed its internal divisions, with India […]
Both Egypt and China’s ministers of Agriculture signed Wednesday August 16 to collaborate on developing drought and salt-tolerant crops to overcome water scarcity and salinity in Egypt as the country confronts the major impacts of climate change, “Ahram Online” reports. Egypt’s El-Sayed El-Quseir and his Chinese counterpart Tang Renjian signed the agreement which the Egyptian […]
Mali’s military leader and interim president, Assimi Goita, had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about the escalating situation in Niger, amid growing concerns in the West that Africa’s latest coup undermines its influence while presenting an opportunity to expand Russia’s presence in the West African region. The Kremlin said Mali’s […]
Sentury Tire, a Chinese tire manufacturing giant, will build a first Morocco tire facility in the North of the country, 35 km from Tanger-Med port, Africa’s largest container port which handles over half of all cargo going through Moroccan ports. The deal okaying the plant breaking ground and operationalization was signed by the company’s manager […]
As China levies export controls on two critical minerals, gallium and geranium, from August, for US industry dependent upon reliable supply chains, Africa represents a key opportunity for American interests, according to Ned Rauch-Mannino, a former co-chair for the White House’s Prosper Africa initiative. The restrictions imposed on access to these two critical minerals mark […]