Mapping Global China, For and By the People with Ivan Franceschini, Stella Hongzhang and Mark Grimsditch

05/28/21 • 37 min

A new approach to mapping the Belt and Road Initiative has arrived! The People's Map of China combines a broad, global representation of Chinese investments across a map of where they occur across the world with deep dive research into specific projects and their social and environmental implications. Designed by a coalition of nongovernmental organizations, journalists, trade unions, academics, and public contributors, the People's Map aims not only to improve understandings of global China but also to serve as a tool for advocacy for stakeholders affected by Chinese projects.
Erik & Juliet speak with Mark Grimsditch, Stella HongZhang, and Ivan Franceschini - three of the creators - about its recent launch, the design and creation, and the intended uses of the People's Map.
Access the People's Map Here
And see our recommendations:
Ivan: "Chinese workers allege forced labor, abuses in Xi's 'Belt and Road' program." Lili Kuo & Alicia Chen. Washington Post.
Erik: "Sound of Metal" film
Juliet:
1) HongZhang's article in Panda Paw Dragon Claw, "China's manifesto for leadership in global development"
2) Webinar: TNI’s Agrarian Conversations Series, “Global Food Regimes and China”
3) Webinar: The BU Global Development Policy Center’s latest webinar with Jake Werner, “The Sources of China’s Vision for Global Economic Governance“
Mark: Get off Twitter once in awhile, and watch Star Trek: The Next Generation
~Special thanks to Jada Kissi, who joined the Belt and Road Pod team in Dec 2020 and edited this episode~

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undefined - An In-Depth Look at the Environmental Implications of the $2bn Ghana - Sinohydro Bauxite for Infrastructure Deal with Terrence Neal and Dr. Elizabeth Losos

An In-Depth Look at the Environmental Implications of the $2bn Ghana - Sinohydro Bauxite for Infrastructure Deal with Terrence Neal and Dr. Elizabeth Losos

In this episode, Erik is joined by Terrence Neal and Dr. Elizabeth Losos to discuss their recent report that uses Ghana's $2bn bauxite-for-infrastructure deal with Sinohydro as a case study to look into the environmental implications of BRI resource-financed infrastructure agreements.
Read the full report here: "The Environmental Implications of China-Africa Resource-Finance Infrastructure Agreements: Lessons Learned from Ghana's Sinohydro Agreement"
About the authors:
Terrence Neal is a natural resource governance researcher and current U.S. District court judicial law clerk. Terrence received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2019, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy from Duke University in 2015. His research focuses on international human rights law, international economic law, and natural resources governance.
Dr. Elizabeth Losos is a Senior Fellow at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

Guest recommendations:
Elizabeth:
1) China’s Belt and Road: Implications for the United States, Council on Foreign Relations, March 2021.
Terrence:
1) Go outside and ride a bike!
Erik:
1) Twenty Years of Data on China’s Africa Lending, Kevin Acker and Deborah Brautigam, March 2021.
2) How China Lends: A Rare Look into 100 Debt Contracts with Foreign Governments, Anna Gelpern et al., March 2021.

~Special thanks to Maggie Gaus, who joined the Belt and Road Pod team in Dec 2020 and edited this episode~

Thanks for listening!

Next Episode

The Belt and Road from Outer Space to Underground with Julie Klinger

On this episode Juliet and Erik speak with Dr. Julie Klinger about her research that smartly connects the seemingly disparate topics of geological surveying, Chinese domestic environmental and social movements, international infrastructure investments and China-Africa space cooperation. It's a fascinating discussion that you certainly don't want to miss!
Our interview is based on:
1) Julie's amazing book, Rare Earth Frontiers
2) "Environment, development, and security politics in the production of Belt and Road spaces" and
3) "China, Africa, and the Rest: recent trends in space science, technology, and satellite development."
Julie Klinger is an Assistant Professor in the University of Delaware’s Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences. She is associate director of the Minerals, Materials, and Society Program at U Delaware and co-facilitates the Embodiment Lab.
Here are this week's recommendations!
Juliet:
1) Hunger Games film, 2012 (significance of the three-finger salute)
2) Timothy McLaughlin's Atlantic articles discussing Myanmar
Erik:
1) Pekingology podcast, CSIS
2) Punisher, Phoebe Bridgers (especially the song aptly named Chinese Satellite), 2020
Julie:
1) Alie Ward's Ologies Podcast
2) The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey Into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, 2021
3) Intimate Geopolitics: Love, Territory, and the Future on India's Northern Threshold, Sara Smith, 2020
~Special thanks to Maggie Gaus, who joined the Belt and Road Pod team in Dec 2020 and edited this episode~