China

ADF STAFF Sometimes called a hermit state, Eritrea is one of the most diplomatically isolated countries in the world. A history of repression, human rights abuses and conflict with neighboring countries has left it with few allies on the…

ADF STAFF In the video call, smuggler Phan Quan made it clear: He needed 20 metric tons of pangolin scales shipped to him in Vietnam. The authorities had seized his previous shipment. Unknown to him, Phan Quan was speaking with an…

ADF STAFF The Baka people of Cameroon have thrived amid the lush rainforests for thousands of years, but recently they have seen their lives upended by expanding Chinese rubber plantations. “When they destroyed the forest, they were…

ADF STAFF The recent mutiny by Russia’s Wagner Group and potential changes to the mercenary group’s operations in Africa could make room for China to expand its own private security footprint on the continent, according to experts. Since…

ADF STAFF Samuel Otoo and Alfred Ofore Kae launched their artisanal fishing canoe into the waters off Jamestown, Ghana, before dawn. About a dozen fellow fishermen helped them drag their canoe back onto shore when they returned in…

ADF STAFF When recent reports emerged of widespread, yearslong cyberattacks by Chinese hackers on Kenya’s government, China was quick to offer a boilerplate denial. But, experts say, in the digital environment, it is harder than ever for…

ADF STAFF New reporting details the extreme measures China will take to collect information about countries where it lends money. An investigation by Reuters, published on May 24, revealed that Chinese hackers engaged in a widespread,…

ADF STAFF After more than a decade of heavy borrowing from China, the bill is coming due for some African countries that find themselves teetering on the brink of economic collapse. China ranks as the largest single lender to African…

ADF STAFF In 2021, Kenya launched a program to send 400 police officers each year to China for training, despite concerns that China’s authoritarian approach to policing conflicts with Kenyan laws protecting free speech and human rights.…

ADF STAFF People across Senegal have enjoyed thieboudienne, the national dish, since at least the 19th century. Made with stuffed fish, rice, vegetables and a variety of West African spices, the savory dish’s recipe has traveled across…