As the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the triennial official forum between China and all the African states with the exception of Eswatini, took place in Beijing in early September 2018, YCW Shanghai invites Eric Olander to speak about Sino-Africa relations in the light of the FOCAC Summit. Since 2000, the FOCAC has resulted in major policy and financing announcements for China-Africa relations. Eric will discuss progress made since the 2015 FOCAC in Johannesburg, and trends emerged from the 2018 FOCAC, which will shape the China-Africa relationship in coming years. We will also discuss eight major initiatives in Africa outlined by Xi Jinping, including plans to establish a China-Africa trade expo, provide one billion reminbi ($146 million) in food aid, extra imports to China from Africa, and a peace and security initiative to provide military aid to the AU and to advance China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
We invite Eric Olander, Founder at The China Africa Project to discuss.
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Eric Olander
Eric Olander is the founder of the China Africa Project and co-host of the weekly China in Africa Podcast. Eric Olander is a veteran new media and broadcast journalist with over 25 years experience in Asia, Africa, the United States and Europe. Eric has worked with many of the world’s leading news companies including CNN, the BBC World Service, the Associated Press and at FRANCE 24 in Paris where he served as the network’s Editor in Chief of New Media. Currently, Eric is based in Shanghai, China where he works in advertising and media. Eric has a degree in East African history from the University of California at Berkeley and a masters degree in international public affairs from the University of Hong Kong. He is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and French while becoming increasingly conversant in Vietnamese.
