The China-Global South Podcast

Huang Yan, a Chinese journalist in Southeast Asia who covers online gambling and scam compounds, discusses the fall of Chen Zhi and the massive Cambodian crackdown. He highlights Chinese-run networks and money laundering behind the scams. He describes life inside the compounds and why the industry keeps shifting to countries like Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

U.S., European, and Japanese leaders are all talking about the urgency of building new supply chains to end their reliance on China for critical minerals and batteries that will power next-generation mobility, technology, and weapons. It all sounds great and makes for good politics at home, but the reality is that China's dominance of these vital supply chains is so big and still growing that it will be nearly impossible to close the gap anytime soon. Zeyi Yang, a senior writer covering technology and business at Wired, recently detailed this phenomenon in a cover article for the magazine about how "Chinese EV batteries are eating the world." Zeyi joins Eric to discuss why it's going to be so difficult for the rest of the world to match China's near-total dominance of this increasingly vital sector. 📌 Topics Covered in this Episode China's 80% dominance in EV batteries Why Chinese firms are expanding globally Key players like CATL, BYD, and Goshen Expansion into Europe and Southeast Asia Local tensions over the environment and labor Batteries as a strategic energy resource Show Notes: Wired: Chinese EV Batteries Are Eating the World by Zeyi Yang: https://tinyurl.com/595hnzrh 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 and 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

Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general at the Center for China and Globalization and author of the discussed Foreign Policy article, explains why Beijing avoids formal security patronage. He contrasts Chinese partnerships with U.S. alliances. He discusses how domestic priorities, limited expeditionary capacity, and commercial ties shape China’s restrained approach to countries like Iran.

Joel Ng, senior fellow and head of the Centre for Multilateralism Studies, studies China’s multilateral moves. He explains Sinocentric multilateralism and whether China is building parallel institutions. Short discussions cover BRICS, the Global Security Initiative, summit formats like FOCAC, why Global South countries are drawn to China, and the risks if UN influence wanes.

The U.S., Japan, and other G7 countries are scrambling to secure critical minerals to end their reliance on Chinese-controlled supply chains. Every week, there's news of another mining deal for cobalt, lithium, and other resources essential to powering 21st century technology. But the race to control critical resources may already be over. Decades before countries in the Global West recognized the importance of these minerals and metals, China quietly built out a vast network of mining and refining operations. Nicholas Niarchos, author of the new bestselling book "The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth," joins Eric & Géraud to discuss the history of the battery metal competition and why China's early moves in this space may have given it an insurmountable lead. 📌 Topics Covered in this Episode: Why everyone sees the critical minerals supply chain differently and who's missing the full picture The making of "The Elements of Power" — one journalist's journey from Greece to Congo Artisanal mining, child labor, and the political ecosystem keeping it alive How China built its Congo mining empire over 30 years while the West looked away The Sicomines "Deal of the Century" and what it revealed about Chinese strategy Small Chinese traders, violence, and the uneasy coexistence on Congo's mining frontier Indonesia, Western Sahara and the global pattern of extractive exploitation Why the US critical minerals push may already be too little too late Show Notes: Purchase a copy of The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth: https://a.co/d/0g8xV4n8 Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social Follow CGSP in French and 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

Andrea Ghiselli, lecturer in international politics and head of research at The ChinaMed Project, analyzes China’s reaction to the US-Israel strikes on Iran. She discusses Chinese market and defense responses, why China would act pragmatically rather than as a military ally, shifts in energy security and stockpiling, and how asymmetric drone warfare and regional diplomacy reshape Beijing’s options.

Pedro Armada, Panama City–based risk consultant and managing partner of Armada Risk Consulting, analyzes U.S.–China rivalry in Latin America. He discusses Panama’s seizure of Chinese-operated ports and the operational headaches that followed. He examines U.S. pressure on Peru’s Chancay mega port and how deep trade ties and narrative battles make decoupling difficult.

Lu Miao, assistant professor at Lingnan University and author of The Transsion Approach, explains how a little-known Shenzhen firm tailored phones and distribution to African needs. She discusses rural-first networks, localized features like dual SIMs and long batteries, Carlcare repair centers, decentralized marketing, and rising IP and AI challenges. The conversation traces product design, local partnerships, and competitive shifts.

Mohammed Soliman, a senior fellow and geopolitical strategist, discusses why the region is being reframed as West Asia. He explores China’s growing economic foothold, the Asianization of Gulf economies, U.S. military primacy vs. shifting strategy, connectivity corridors, and Gulf plans to become AI and compute hubs. Short, sharp insights on how great power competition is reshaping regional alignments.

Dan Ford, a Quincy Institute researcher who studies DFC projects, and Karthik Shankaran, a geoeconomics fellow at Quincy, discuss the DFC’s reauthorization and why framing it as a tool to beat China is risky. They cover the Lobito Corridor, limits of development finance against Belt and Road, shifting congressional mandates, and where the DFC could better focus such as energy, critical minerals, and supply chains.