Three of four African countries surveyed by Pew Research Center have more positive views of China than the US. Support for the US is down and goodwill towards China is up in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa since the last poll conducted in 2024 under the former Joe Biden administration. The damage to the US reputation is self-inflicted.
Beijing has gained more from the war with Iran than any other in three decades. The war accelerated three of China’s long-held goals: a Middle East less dependent on America, a world more dependent on Chinese technology, and a reputation for Beijing as a serious and steady world power. China and its partners have effectively expanded renminbi-dominated trade to reduce exposure to American sanctions.
The Cold War 2.0 is already here. The next Arsenal of Democracy will be built as much by investors, entrepreneurs, and operators as by government. China treats finance, industry, technology, diplomacy, intelligence, media, and military power as part of the same system. China understands that capital can create strategic leverage without firing a shot. The answer is Western capital showing up with a better proposition: better governance and stronger local partnerships.
Papua New Guinea closed Taiwan's economic office in Port Moresby on July 16, 2026. PNG is a strategic gateway between Australasia and East Asia and a critical node along maritime routes carrying energy supplies toward Taiwan. PNG's liquefied natural gas sector supplies Taiwan with about 1.2 million tonnes of LNG per annum.
Three of four African countries surveyed by Pew Research Center have more positive views of China than the US. Support for the US is down and goodwill towards China is up in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa since the last poll conducted in 2024 under the former Joe Biden administration. The damage to the US reputation is self-inflicted.
Beijing has gained more from the war with Iran than any other in three decades. The war accelerated three of China’s long-held goals: a Middle East less dependent on America, a world more dependent on Chinese technology, and a reputation for Beijing as a serious and steady world power. China and its partners have effectively expanded renminbi-dominated trade to reduce exposure to American sanctions.
The Cold War 2.0 is already here. The next Arsenal of Democracy will be built as much by investors, entrepreneurs, and operators as by government. China treats finance, industry, technology, diplomacy, intelligence, media, and military power as part of the same system. China understands that capital can create strategic leverage without firing a shot. The answer is Western capital showing up with a better proposition: better governance and stronger local partnerships.
Papua New Guinea closed Taiwan's economic office in Port Moresby on July 16, 2026. PNG is a strategic gateway between Australasia and East Asia and a critical node along maritime routes carrying energy supplies toward Taiwan. PNG's liquefied natural gas sector supplies Taiwan with about 1.2 million tonnes of LNG per annum.