Editor's note

As 2019 gets underway, we’d like to wish you a warm welcome back into the normal swing of things. In our first newsletter of the year we’re featuring analysis from leading academics who have been published by The Conversation’s UK, US and African editions.

There is no doubt that China will feature prominently in a range of contexts over the coming months. In Africa, the issue of Beijing’s involvement will continue to preoccupy policymakers, governments and activists given that China has become a key provider of infrastructure finance, funding everything from Kenyan railways to Angolan hydropower. There’s a common view that countries take whatever terms China wants. But this is a misconception, according to Folashade Soule. She argues that some countries are better at negotiating with China than others, and lists four key tactics that all African governments should master.

Beijing has also been busy pioneering space exploration projects. China just became the first country to land a probe on the far side of the moon – the side not visible to anyone on Earth. It’s an impressive technological achievement and another sign of China’s growing capabilities and ambitions in space. Political scientist Wendy Whitman Cobb explores whether our already tense relations with China could spur a new space race.

Steven Vass

Scotland Editor

Top Stories

President Xi Jinping at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation 2018. EPA

How to negotiate infrastructure deals with China: four things African governments need to get right

Folashade Soule, University of Oxford

Too many African countries believe Beijing when they are told in negotiations that they must take it or leave it.

What will China discover on the far side of the moon? BeeBright/Shutterstock.com

Will China’s moon landing launch a new space race?

Wendy Whitman Cobb, Cameron University

China just became the first country to land a probe on the far side of the moon. It's a technological achievement and another sign of China's capabilities and ambitions in space.

Politics + Society

Rightist Bolsonaro takes office in Brazil, promising populist change to angry voters

Benjamin H. Bradlow, Brown University

Brazil's new president – often called the 'Trump of the tropics' for his inflammatory, right-wing rhetoric – won over poorer voters by stoking fear and resentment. Can he make them happy?

The ANC: the story of a liberation movement that’s lost its lustre

Steven Friedman, University of Johannesburg

The ANC, alienated from intellectuals and the middle class and having lost most of its talented youth leadership, is clearly on a downward path.

Energy + Environenment

Jair Bolsonaro can be stopped from trashing the Amazon – here’s how

Anthony Pereira, King's College London

Brazil's new president wants to sacrifice the environment, but he faces some constraints.

Why microbeads are such a threat and why they’re so hard to handle

Henk Bouwman, North-West University

A plastic bag has an average usage time of 20 minutes, while it can take up to 1000 years to break down in the environment.

Health + Medicine

Keeping fit: how to do the right exercise for your age

Julie Broderick, Trinity College Dublin

As we age, our bodies need different types of exercise. Here is a guide to doing the right exercise for your age.

People in Africa live longer. But their health is poor in those extra years

Charles Shey Wiysonge, South African Medical Research Council

Data suggest that people are living many years in poor health in Africa.