The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast

The Crane: Episode #16 - Wenhua Zongheng & Building Platforms for International Debate

Tings Chak joins us to discuss Wenhua Zongheng (文化纵横), a leading journal of contemporary political and cultural thought in China. 

Founded in 2008, the journal publishes issues every two months, featuring articles by a wide array of intellectuals across the country and building a platform for discussion of different ideological positions and va...

Prof David Monyae joins us to discuss what he describes as a new geopolitical interregnum, where – drawing from Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci – he contends that the ‘old’ is dying, while the ‘new’ multipolar world order is not yet born.  

From growing international platforms to discuss issues of public interest, such as the Lanting Forum, to the recent clamor for BRICS membership, we are seeing new qualitative shifts in interna...

In the lead up to Africa Liberation Day on May 25, we are joined by Etsehiwot Negash Kebret and Patrick Anam from Development Reimagined to discuss the African Union – whose predecessor was formed on this date in 1963 – and its growing relationship with China.

Patrick is International Trade Policy and Trade Law Expert based in Nairobi, Kenya. He focuses on international trade law, trade policy, and regional integration. He is cur...

In this episode, we look at China’s increased engagement with the African Union, as the latter celebrates its 60th anniversary, we appreciate the architectural beauty of the new AU HQ (built by China) and give you a preview of what we’ll cover in upcoming episodes. 

The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast is a bi-monthly podcast giving you a fresh look at the news, events, and debates around China-Africa relations from the perspective...

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Grieve Chelwa to look at the Zambian debt crisis, China’s relationship with Zambia, US Sec. Treasury Janet Yellen’s visit to Lusaka, and the kafwafwa caused by the US in the DRC-Zambia agreement on developing renewable energy resources. 

Dr. Grieve Chelwa is a Zambian economist with broad research interests mainly in the area of African Economic Development. Grieve currently serves as director...

Welcome, we start 2023 by analyzing the new Chinese Foreign Minister Qing Gang’s visit to Africa. Who is he? Which countries did he visit and why? And how did the world react to this?  

For more general information:

• ‘Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s 5-nation African tour a show of solidarity, strategic importance, analysts say’ by Jevans Nyabiage, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/artic...

Complements of the season! In this episode, we talk about who we are and why we started our Africa-China podcast as well as what you can expect from us in 2023! 

The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast is a bi-monthly podcast giving you a fresh look at the news, events, and debates around China-Africa relations from the perspective of two young(ish) Africans.

You can listen to all episodes of The Crane for free anywhere you get podcas...

With COP27 on the news we look at climate change, China’s true role in it, building an ecological civilization, honoring climate adaptation financing in Africa, and why our continent will not join the ‘green energy’ transition anytime soon.  

For more on some of the topics discussed check out:

• The Global Carbon Project by CDIAC, 14 November 2016.

• China’s pledge...

In this episode, we talk about some of the ‘Afronauts’ who dreamt of reaching the moon before the US & Soviet Union, the new Global North scramble for extraplanetary resources, and what practical steps African nations are taking around space cooperation projects with China. 

For more on some of the topics discussed check out:

• The Zambian “Afronaut” Who Wanted to Join the Space Race by The New Yorker...

African leaders have resoundingly rejected for our continent to be turned into a battleground for a new, US-led Cold War which, while targeting Russia and China directly, is having huge political and economic impacts in the Global South.

We explore how the shortcomings of the UN system and lack of equitable representation in other major multilateral organizations have undermined African progress and development.

Fun facts include t...

In this episode, we do a short cultural snippet about the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival. We look into the origins and customs of the Chinese harvest holiday that comes with orange flowers, poetry, matchmaking, and ancient surfers!

The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast is a bi-monthly podcast giving you a fresh look at the news, events, and debates around China-Africa relations from the perspective of two young(ish) Africans.

You can l...

In this episode, we discuss China’s relationship with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with Congolese researcher and human rights activist Kambale Musavuli. 

Kambale takes us through everything from the responsibility of local elites in delivering projects, to the US efforts to cut China off from vital strategic minerals (involving both Hilary Clinton and Antony Blinken), and dispelling myths about the ‘controversial’ Chinese...

The Biden administration just launched the new U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, which is heavily focused on geopolitical competition with Russia & China and less on engagement with African aspirations and interests.

In contrast, China has just announced that it is removing almost all trade tariffs on exports from 16 of the world’s least developed countries, many of which are African.   

We discuss Africa-China trade pol...

Allegations and accusations that China is trapping Africa into unsustainable debt agreements have dominated the conversation around Africa-China relations in Western media, but what does the data tell us? 

We look at the international implications of this claim, what debt trap diplomacy is, and who owns most of Africa's external debts. Featuring Sri Lanka, the African Development Bank, and the “secret” lenders they don’t tell us ab...

What role did China play in Africa’s liberation? We look into it, from early voyages by Admiral Zheng He compared to European “explorers” to the 1967 Chinese-support building of the TAZARA railway in Zambia & Tanzania against Apartheid.

The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast is a bi-monthly podcast giving you a fresh look at the news, events, and debates around China-Africa relations from the perspective of two young(ish) Africans.

🎧Y...

Does China act as a “neo-colonial” force on the continent, grabbing land and subordinating the needs of Africans? 

We’ll discuss this, how the Ukraine conflict affects food security, Prof. Deborah Brautigam's amazing work on this issue, & much more.

The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast is a bi-monthly podcast giving you a fresh look at the news, events, and debates around China-Africa relations from the perspective of two young(ish) ...