In 2013, the continued cooperation of China and African nations has been a boon for the continent by increasing economic development and providing much needed healthcare infrastructure. As He Wenping explains, China’s cooperation with Africa only creates more areas of converging interests between China and the US, boosting bilateral relations.

Africa is poised to see an uptick in infrastructure construction following a pledge by China’s Export-Import Bank to invest as much as $1 trillion in financing in the continent over the next decade. As Robert Rotberg explains, the commitment will strengthen China’s partnerships with African nations while developing critical infrastructure in the region.

Sixteen years after China closed its embassy in São Tomé and Principle, two tiny African islands located in a resource rich area off of the Atlantic Coast of Gabon. Now China hopes to renew relations by bringing promise of modern infrastructure to the island in hope of returning with a stake in potential oil discovery.

China’s counterterrorism policy since the 2001 attacks on the United States has increasingly been pursued in the context of the global war on terror. In Africa, as threats to Chinese interests increase; Beijing has quietly been ramping up its efforts to confront terrorism.

After nearly $1.5 million worth of elephant tusks were seized by customs agents in Hong Kong, international attention has turned to the illegal ivory and rhino horn trade in Africa – fuelled by Chinese demand.

Both sides on the Korean Peninsula should realize that neither could destroy the other, and that it is necessary to continue this confrontational peace based on reciprocity and balance, write Shuang Shi and Xiong Lei.

While North Korea has traditionally been a thorn in America’s side, Michael Justin Lee posits that reports Kim Jong-un has resumed the country’s nuclear development program could provide a rare opportunity to boost military-to-military relations between the United States and China, the DPRK’s long-time ally.

As China shifts its focus away from low-end labor-intensive manufacturing due to the rising production costs, it is inevitable for Chinese firms to relocate their operations to lesser-cost developing economy destinations, including Africa. Dr. Martyn Davies articulates how China-Africa relationship would change from attracting state capital to more private investment as a result of China’s economic reforms.

With trade between China and Africa worth nearly $166 billion last year, it is no wonder investments from and exports to China are at an all time high. However, as South African President Jacob Zuma subtly noted last month in Beijing at the tri-annual China-Africa Forum, Africa desperately needs a transfer of technology from China too.

As the United States and China have been working to build a new type of great power relationship, North Korean policy has often been a point of debate. Bonnie Glaser outlines the importance of Pyongyang to the strengthening of Sino-US relations.